Summer School Letter

[Anonymous]

My 4th grade DD came home this week with a sealed envelope inviting her to summer school. This is the first summer where she has been "invited." We have not received SOL results yet. She has struggled in reading but we have lined up a tutor. But now I am thinking her scores are lower than normal. Thoughts on how FCPS generally invites kids to summer school and if it is test dependent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 4th grade DD came home this week with a sealed envelope inviting her to summer school. This is the first summer where she has been "invited." We have not received SOL results yet. She has struggled in reading but we have lined up a tutor. But now I am thinking her scores are lower than normal. Thoughts on how FCPS generally invites kids to summer school and if it is test dependent?

We identify kids for summer school through the MTSS process. Did she have lower than average iReady and VGA scores?

[Anonymous]

Others may have declined so they are moving down their list of students to invite. A student of mine who passed the math and reading SOL tests was just invited to attend.

[Anonymous]

My DD has failed both math and reading SOLs and never invited to attend. She speaks fluent English, though, which is probably why.

[Anonymous]

It is definitely not determined by the SOL but their progress throughout the year. She has most likely been documented to severely be struggling in base level concepts in reading math to be invited to summer school, as it is not well funded and only open to students who demonstrate the most need through progress tracking. I would very much consider attending if they deemed her eligible; they are attempting to reinforce her basic skills of necessary concepts before she moves up to 5th grade and needs to be able to apply those concepts in new ways. Keep the reading tutor as well if you’re able.

-teacher

[Anonymous]

These are not well attended at our elementary and middle school. They start out with a group of students then move down the list and invite more as people decline. One of my kids got invitations every year until HS but didn’t go. Ask the teacher if they recommend remediation in the summer.

[Anonymous]

Why do these come so late? When most working parents have already had to pay for camps for their kids? Do they think kids will just be sitting around all summer? Camps fill up so fast that I book mine latest March. Last year my daughter got the invitation but I'd already shelled out over a thousand dollars for summer camps - nonrefundable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do these come so late? When most working parents have already had to pay for camps for their kids? Do they think kids will just be sitting around all summer? Camps fill up so fast that I book mine latest March. Last year my daughter got the invitation but I'd already shelled out over a thousand dollars for summer camps - nonrefundable.

Not every kid goes to camp. They can’t make the recommendation until the MTSS process has concluded and it’s been documented that multiple interventions have not been successful and gaps in knowledge still persist. I understand your frustration but there has to be enough data to show that the child is consistently not meeting benchmarks and remains at a place of mastery that will make the next year too challenging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are not well attended at our elementary and middle school. They start out with a group of students then move down the list and invite more as people decline. One of my kids got invitations every year until HS but didn’t go. Ask the teacher if they recommend remediation in the summer.

They’re also doing it a bit different this year, instead of every school having summer school they are grouping the elementary schools by pyramid and a few in each pyramid will host.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do these come so late? When most working parents have already had to pay for camps for their kids? Do they think kids will just be sitting around all summer? Camps fill up so fast that I book mine latest March. Last year my daughter got the invitation but I'd already shelled out over a thousand dollars for summer camps - nonrefundable.

Not every kid goes to camp. They can’t make the recommendation until the MTSS process has concluded and it’s been documented that multiple interventions have not been successful and gaps in knowledge still persist. I understand your frustration but there has to be enough data to show that the child is consistently not meeting benchmarks and remains at a place of mastery that will make the next year too challenging.

TBH, this sounds terrifying. If I were a parent who got one of these letters and had enrolled my kid in camp earlier, I would either send my kid to the free summer school or pay for a supplemental tutor, depending on my means. Failing in school trumps camps, at least for those who have a choice, and camps aren't cheap either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do these come so late? When most working parents have already had to pay for camps for their kids? Do they think kids will just be sitting around all summer? Camps fill up so fast that I book mine latest March. Last year my daughter got the invitation but I'd already shelled out over a thousand dollars for summer camps - nonrefundable.

Who signs up for nonrefundable camps? Most camps do offer some refunds.

And you know your daughter is behind and continue to sign up for camps instead of remediation? Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do these come so late? When most working parents have already had to pay for camps for their kids? Do they think kids will just be sitting around all summer? Camps fill up so fast that I book mine latest March. Last year my daughter got the invitation but I'd already shelled out over a thousand dollars for summer camps - nonrefundable.

Not every kid goes to camp. They can’t make the recommendation until the MTSS process has concluded and it’s been documented that multiple interventions have not been successful and gaps in knowledge still persist. I understand your frustration but there has to be enough data to show that the child is consistently not meeting benchmarks and remains at a place of mastery that will make the next year too challenging.

TBH, this sounds terrifying. If I were a parent who got one of these letters and had enrolled my kid in camp earlier, I would either send my kid to the free summer school or pay for a supplemental tutor, depending on my means. Failing in school trumps camps, at least for those who have a choice, and camps aren't cheap either.

I’m the teacher PP and this is the typical response we get from parents . They want US to do any and everything on our end during the school year but when we say “okay now you need to do this to help your child too” it’s too much. They have camp, summer plans, etc. They don’t want summer school for whatever reason so they don’t go and then act like it’s on us when their kid continues to struggle the next year. It’s not all, but this is definitely the more common response than the parent actually shifting plans or committing to anything inconvenient for their child’s academic well being. And these letters come late but not out of nowhere - the kids who ultimately qualify for summer school struggle throughout the year and their parents are aware.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do these come so late? When most working parents have already had to pay for camps for their kids? Do they think kids will just be sitting around all summer? Camps fill up so fast that I book mine latest March. Last year my daughter got the invitation but I'd already shelled out over a thousand dollars for summer camps - nonrefundable.

Not every kid goes to camp. They can’t make the recommendation until the MTSS process has concluded and it’s been documented that multiple interventions have not been successful and gaps in knowledge still persist. I understand your frustration but there has to be enough data to show that the child is consistently not meeting benchmarks and remains at a place of mastery that will make the next year too challenging.

TBH, this sounds terrifying. If I were a parent who got one of these letters and had enrolled my kid in camp earlier, I would either send my kid to the free summer school or pay for a supplemental tutor, depending on my means. Failing in school trumps camps, at least for those who have a choice, and camps aren't cheap either.

I’m the teacher PP and this is the typical response we get from parents . They want US to do any and everything on our end during the school year but when we say “okay now you need to do this to help your child too” it’s too much. They have camp, summer plans, etc. They don’t want summer school for whatever reason so they don’t go and then act like it’s on us when their kid continues to struggle the next year. It’s not all, but this is definitely the more common response than the parent actually shifting plans or committing to anything inconvenient for their child’s academic well being. And these letters come late but not out of nowhere - the kids who ultimately qualify for summer school struggle throughout the year and their parents are aware.

+1 I know someone like this. Her kid has severe LDs, way below reading level…and she refused summer school. She also won’t get him tutored. Sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 4th grade DD came home this week with a sealed envelope inviting her to summer school. This is the first summer where she has been "invited." We have not received SOL results yet. She has struggled in reading but we have lined up a tutor. But now I am thinking her scores are lower than normal. Thoughts on how FCPS generally invites kids to summer school and if it is test dependent?

Reading is the key — if they can’t read, it will hold them back in all other subjects. It is good you are going to use a tutor, but if it’s not too inconvenient, you might consider taking advantage of the summer school option. It can help booster her confidence! My DS was a late reader, such that they thought he had a learning disability; however, once he learned to read he not only became a voracious reader (reading far above his level), but he became good in the other subjects, too. He’s currently a biochemistry major in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do these come so late? When most working parents have already had to pay for camps for their kids? Do they think kids will just be sitting around all summer? Camps fill up so fast that I book mine latest March. Last year my daughter got the invitation but I'd already shelled out over a thousand dollars for summer camps - nonrefundable.

Who signs up for nonrefundable camps? Most camps do offer some refunds.

And you know your daughter is behind and continue to sign up for camps instead of remediation? Wow.

An invitation to summer school doesn’t necessarily mean they are behind. I posted earlier (as did someone else) that the school keeps going down the list until slots are filled. Some of my students getting invited now are not “behind”.