While many students elsewhere were on their final week of vacation before classes begin Monday, perhaps dreading the first week back, the pupils at Lincoln Elementary School were dancing the Macarena at school last week.
They were learning how to stencil sweatshirts, practicing how to use lasers for magic tricks, or participating in a sports camp.
It might sound like nothing but fun, but school officials view it as much more.
“One of the things we try to do is offer extra-curricular courses that enrich students’ development, while also allowing them to have fun,” said Teri Wittenberger, volunteer for District 75’s intersession program.
The intersession is part of an unusual scheduling program that Lincoln has adopted.
Lincoln is one of the first year-round schools in the area. Beginning in mid-July, students attend classes for nine weeks, then have three-week breaks before school resumes. During each of the three-week breaks, Lincoln offers intersession courses to students that take advantage of children’s strengths and special interests.
“Where parents with children in traditional schools might send a child to different camps during the summer, we have everything for students all in one place,” said Lincoln Principal Shirley Anderson.
Similar to camps, each class in the intersession is administered by instructors from outside the school, including members of the Park District and local merchants. Parents pay a separate fee for each class, ranging from $12 to $70.
Many parents apparently like the program; more than 80 of the school’s roughly 275 pupils participated in each of the first two intersessions.
This is the first full year that Lincoln has operated on the year-round system. As a result of the different schedule, students only have a six-week summer break.
“The scheduled breaks are just long enough that my two daughters are re-energized when they go back to school,” Fritz said.
As for the kids, while they are not so sure whether they like the idea of year-round school, they seem to love the intersessions.
“This isn’t like school. It’s more like recess or gym,” said Sean Santiago, 8, who was involved in the sports camp. “We just come here and have fun all day.”
