Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hampton City Public Schools says summer program served 1,595 K–8 students and added 28 instructional hours
Summary
School staff told the board that the district’s June 25–July 24 summer program combined academics and enrichment across two sites, serving 1,595 K–8 students with added instructional time, field experiences and partnerships with local colleges and cultural institutions.
At its Aug. 6 meeting, the Hampton City School Board heard an overview of the district’s community-connected summer learning and enrichment program, which officials said ran June 25–July 24 and served 1,595 kindergarten through eighth-grade students.
The presentation, delivered by Mr. Perry, elementary school leadership director, described a program “reimagined in 2024” that integrates enrichment with academic instruction to “foster equity and achievement, narrow the achievement gap, and prepare students for fall success,” Perry said. The district said the program added 28 hours of instructional time to student schedules and operated Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Nut graf: District officials told the board the summer academy combined targeted literacy, math and science instruction with social-emotional learning and enrichment activities to reduce summer learning loss and support a stronger start to the 2025–26 school year.
Officials said the program was hosted at two sites: Andrews K–8 (813 students) and Phoenix K–8 (782 students). Each day began with a social-emotional learning lesson, included core instruction in reading, math and science, and provided a daily 50-minute enrichment block. All participating students received breakfast and lunch on site.
Karen Johnson, one of the program presenters, described the role of dedicated Elevate teachers who led project-based activities aligned with standards and enrichment providers who delivered hands-on experiences in arts, technology and recreation. The presentation listed field experiences that included visits to the planetarium, the Virginia Air and Space Center and MAD Science, and a performance and family festival at the Hampton History Museum co‑hosted by the Fine Arts Department and Arts for Learning.
Dr. Sean Callender, director of secondary school leadership, described secondary offerings, including a gifted arts visual-arts intensive for middle school students and a five-week college-level oceanography experience run in partnership with Virginia Peninsula Community College. The presentation said 40 middle-school students participated in the gifted arts program and that a college experience component served 19 students.
Secondary programs also included a five-week Summer Business Institute and a Leadership Edition that partnered students with the cities of Hampton and Richmond on civic projects. The district said students visited multiple college campuses over the summer, with roughly 100 students participating in college visits to institutions including Hampton University, Norfolk State, Virginia State University, Virginia Tech, Virginia Military Institute, James Madison University and Howard University.
Board members asked for classroom-level detail about the social-emotional learning lessons. A presenter said teachers used prewritten lessons and circle-time formats so students could express themselves and practice SEL skills when they entered the classroom.
Ending: Board members praised the variety of offerings and thanked staff, site coordinators and community partners for the program. The superintendent noted the district’s upcoming calendar items, including a teacher orientation and the Aug. 25 first day of school for students.
