Some children at Edison Elementary were playing a spelling game with tiles at one table Tuesday morning. Downstairs in the school basement, another group of children was learning how to make a savory stew from a teacher. Children enjoyed working in a garden plot, learning how to cook, doing arts and crafts projects or going swimming at the YMCA throughout the summer.
There is always something to keep kids busy during the Minot Public Schools' Community Learning Center summer program.
"We run it like a school day," said Boyd Strand, program director, but there's plenty of summer fun in the mix, too.
Article Photos
Andrea Johnson/MDN
Children in the summer program at Edison Elementary line up to sample some savory stew on Tuesday morning.
The program, which is open to children who were in kindergarten through fifth grade during the last school year, is equal parts academic review and recreational activities. The morning and early afternoon are more geared towards educational activities while late afternoon might include more play time.
Edison Elementary is one of three sites and the only one that offers a full day program. The CLC program at Washington runs from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for holidays like today. The program is offered through Aug. 10.
The school district also offers half day summer programs at Roosevelt and Washington Elementaries. Those sessions run from 7:45 a.m. to noon Mondays through Fridays, with the second session offered beginning on July 9 and ending on Aug. 10.
Spots are still open, said Strand.
The kids in the CLC program also do reading, math and science review, play educational games, do arts and crafts and go on field trips. Strand and site director Annette Mickelson said the kids are also reviewing some of the material they'll be learning next year in school. Some of the teachers gave the program directors the spelling words the children will be learning next year, so those are the words they review in their spelling games.
Strand said the kids come from Minot Public Schools but also surrounding towns. Some are newcomers to the community.
The price for the full-time program is $90 per week for one child, $150 per week for two children; $200 per week for three children; $240 per week for four children and $280 per week for five children. For the part-time program, the cost is $60 per week for one child; $90 per week for two children; $120 per week for three children; $150 per week for four children and $180 per week for five children.
The Roosevelt and Washington elementaries half-day sessions cost $50 for one student per session; $75 for two students and $100 for three or more students per session. Breakfast is served from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. at Roosevelt and Washington; a morning snack is served at 10:45 a.m. at Roosevelt and lunch is served at 11 a.m. at Washington by Community Action.
The CLC program has formed partnerships with other community organizations, such as the Minot Public Library, the Taube Museum of Art, the Ward County Extension Service and the Minot Family YMCA, among others.
The district also runs before and after school programs during the school year, with 10 different sites. Children from other school districts can also attend the after school programs. Strand said the cost is cheaper than daycare programs for school age children.
For more information, log on to the Minot Public Schools website or call site directors. Annette Mickelson, summer site coordinator at Edison, can be reached at 420-1818. Roosevelt site coordinator Delora Schaan can be reached at 857-8781 or 833-7894 and site coordinator Cory MacIver can be reached at 857-8783.
Washington site coordinator Jon Bjerklie can be reached at 420-1823 and site coordinator Tahnee McDonald can be reached at 833-7985.