Students praise John Stark summer freshman program; survey shows strong support
Loading...
Summary
Students and staff described the district’s freshman summer transition program, saying it helped incoming students learn the building, meet peers and try new activities. Staff reported that 69 of 70 survey respondents would participate again; organizers flagged funding and scheduling as challenges for expansion.
A group of students and the program’s organizer briefed the John Stark Regional School District school board on a summer freshman transition program that staff say eased students’ move into high school.
Program staff Julie introduced a series of student speakers who described hands-on activities including birdhouse building, ceramics, ropes courses, hikes and a farm visit that organizers said built social connections and practical skills. “We got to build birdhouses with different types of wood and different types of tools,” a student said, describing how the project helped peers learn from one another.
Julie presented end-of-program survey results: of about 100 students registered, 70 completed the survey and 69 of those 70 said they would “definitely do this again” and would encourage incoming freshmen to participate. Additional results cited by Julie included 62 of 70 students saying they would volunteer for the program in the future, 43 of 70 reporting they tried new activities, and 47 of 70 saying the program helped them make stronger connections with other students.
Board members questioned the program’s capacity and scheduling conflicts with extracurriculars. One board member asked whether basketball players missed parts of the program; staff acknowledged there had been overlap and said they would coordinate with athletic schedules. Julie told the board that roughly 120 students registered and about 102 attended consistently; staff absorbed some over-budget costs this year and said they hope to secure funding before scaling up.
Trustees praised student presenters for public speaking and asked whether students could present to eighth-grade classes to increase future participation. Students agreed to consider presentations to younger students, and staff said they would work on communication and scheduling. The board did not take a formal vote on the program; next steps mentioned were coordination around funding and the district’s budget workshop where program funding will be discussed.
