Edition One

As we wrap up another successful school year, I am excited to share resources to support a fun, engaging, and productive summer for our students and families. Our goal is to help students continue learning, exploring, and growing while also preparing for a strong start to the new school year this fall.

This year, students had the option to keep their district-issued devices over the summer, recognizing that many students already have access to technology at home and can continue using familiar digital learning tools. In addition, we are excited to introduce our new four-part Summer Success Series, which will also be available on the BCS website throughout the summer.

Each edition of the Summer Success Series will feature optional enrichment activities, educational resources, and community opportunities designed to support learning for students of all grade levels. Students are encouraged to stay engaged with reading, learning platforms, and hands-on experiences that promote curiosity, creativity, and continued academic growth during the summer months.

We hope these resources help make summer both enjoyable and enriching for your family. Thank you for your continued partnership and support throughout the school year. We look forward to welcoming students back this fall, ready for another great year of learning and success.

Travis Williams, M.Ed.

Family & Community Engagement Coordinator

As summer begins, we encourage families to keep students’ math minds active with simple, everyday activities at home. Summer math practice does not always need to be worksheets or paper-and-pencil work — cooking, shopping, card games, measuring, building, and counting change are all great ways to practice math skills. Just a few minutes each day can help students stay confident and ready for the next school year while still enjoying summer break!

For our first summer math series, we are sharing a fun geometry scavenger hunt activity for students in kindergarten through 2nd grade. This activity was recommended by Mathnasium and focuses on important geometry skills that align with the West Virginia College and Career Readiness Standards.

Geometry activities in K–2 help children identify and describe shapes, recognize shapes in the world around them, build spatial reasoning skills, and begin understanding how shapes fit together. Students do not need to print out the activity — they can simply open the document on an iPad or device and take pictures of the objects they find or download the file and write directly on it.

To increase the rigor of the activity, encourage students to find multiple examples of each shape, explain why an object matches a shape, compare shapes, or look for more challenging examples around their home or community. Families may also want to explore the free math games available on PBS Kids Math Games. One recommended geometry game for K–2 students is Highlight Zone from Peg + Cat, which helps students practice identifying and working with shapes in a fun, interactive way.

As summer begins, we encourage families to keep students’ math minds active with simple, everyday activities at home. Summer math practice does not always need to be worksheets or paper-and-pencil work — cooking, shopping, card games, measuring, building, and counting change are all great ways to practice math skills. Just a few minutes

each day can help students stay confident and ready for the next school year while still enjoying summer break!

For our first summer math series, we are sharing a geometry scavenger hunt activity for students in grades 3–5. This activity was recommended by Mathnasium and focuses on important geometry skills that align to the West Virginia College and Career Readiness Standards.

In grades 3–5, geometry skills become increasingly important as students work with lines, angles, symmetry, area, perimeter, and problem-solving involving geometric figures. Students do not need to print out the activity — they can simply open the document on an iPad or device and take pictures of the objects they find or download the file and write directly on it.

To increase the rigor of the activity, encourage students to find multiple examples, explain why objects fit certain categories, compare geometric figures, identify lines and angles, or create their own geometry scavenger hunt challenges. Families may also want to explore the Cyberchase games and videos on PBS Kids, which focuses on geometry, problem-solving, symmetry, and spatial reasoning skills.

As summer begins, we encourage families to help young readers continue building important literacy skills through fun, everyday activities at home. Summer reading and writing practice can happen anywhere — reading together before bedtime, telling stories outside, drawing pictures, writing postcards, playing rhyming games, or talking about favorite books are all excellent ways to strengthen early literacy skills. Just a few minutes of reading, writing, and conversation each day can help students stay confident and prepared for the next school year while still enjoying summer break.

For our K–2 Summer ELA series, we are sharing engaging activities designed to support foundational reading, writing, speaking, listening, and vocabulary skills. These activities encourage creativity, imagination, fluency, and comprehension through seasonal themes such as summer adventures, storytelling, reading challenges, and back-to-school readiness. The activities align with important early elementary literacy skills connected to the West Virginia College and Career Readiness Standards.

This week’s “Spring Into Reading” activities are designed to help young learners build early reading, vocabulary, storytelling, and comprehension skills through fun and creative activities. Students will practice identifying words in nature, reading with a buddy, sequencing stories, practicing sight words, and creating imaginative outdoor stories.

Families can support students by reading together daily, encouraging conversations about stories, and helping students share their ideas through drawing and storytelling. Most activities can be completed with simple materials at home while helping students continue developing strong literacy skills throughout the summer.

During the summer months, we encourage families to keep students actively engaged in reading, writing, and critical thinking through meaningful literacy experiences at home. Summer ELA practice does not need to feel like schoolwork — reading books together, writing stories, discussing characters, performing reader’s theater, creating comics, interviewing family members, and exploring vocabulary are all excellent ways to strengthen literacy skills while having fun. Consistent reading and writing practice throughout the summer can help students maintain confidence and prepare for success in the upcoming school year.

For our Grades 3–5 Summer ELA series, we are sharing creative activities that focus on reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary development, speaking and listening, and critical thinking skills. Students will explore storytelling, mystery reading, figurative language, poetry, grammar, and reflection activities designed to encourage creativity and deeper thinking. These activities support literacy growth while aligning with the West Virginia College and Career Readiness Standards for upper elementary students.

This week’s “Reading Explorers” activities are designed to encourage daily reading, comprehension, vocabulary development, and creative thinking in fun and engaging ways. Students will practice keeping a reading log, writing from a character’s point of view, using context clues to determine word meanings, identifying the main idea and supporting details in informational text, and sharing book recommendations with others. Most activities can be completed independently with simple materials such as books, paper, pencils, or magazines. These activities are intended to keep students actively engaged in literacy learning while helping them stay confident and prepared for the upcoming school year

We hope the weekend food bags from the Berkeley County BackPack Program have been helpful throughout the school year. While school is ending, the BackPack Program will continue this summer.

The Berkeley County BackPack Program is offering non-perishable food over the summer. For the summer program, you will need to pick up your children’s food. You will be contacted in June with the dates and times of the summer food distributions. Food distributions will take place at 300 Foxcroft Ave., Martinsburg. There will be 3 handouts-once in June, once in July, and once in August.

You must sign up if you want to participate in the summer program. To sign up, text 304-268-0635 to request the sign-up link. Only one sign-up is needed per family.

Get ready for an unforgettable summer with Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation!

From June Jubilee and exciting day camps to sports camps, concerts, family events, and so much more, there’s something for everyone to enjoy all summer long! Stay active, make memories, meet new friends, and join the fun happening all across the community.

Don’t miss out on all the summer excitement!

Keep the learning and fun going all summer long with Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Library!

Their Summer Reading Program is a great way for students to stay engaged, explore new stories, participate in fun activities, and keep their minds active while school is out. There’s something for readers of all ages to enjoy this summer!

Be sure to stay connected and check out everything they have to offer by visiting their website linked below!

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Eastern Panhandle offers fun, safe, and engaging opportunities to keep students active all summer long!

Whether it’s enjoying one of their summer camps, going on exciting field trips, swimming, participating in educational enrichment activities, or making new friends, there’s something for everyone to enjoy throughout the summer.

With certified teachers, meals and snacks provided, and multiple locations across the Eastern Panhandle, families can count on a summer full of fun, learning, and adventure. Check out the information linked below to learn more and register!

This summer, families can access free support and guidance through the Cook Center for Human Connection and its Mental Health and Wellness Resource Center. Summer break can bring exciting opportunities for families — but it can also create new challenges for parents and caregivers as children spend more time at home, navigate changing routines, and manage social and emotional stressors.

This Family Support Library is here to help by providing every adult and caretaker in the district with a trusted place to find qualified answers and compassionate guidance from premier therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists specializing in parenting and childcare support.

This FREE resource includes more than 50 courses available in both English and Spanish, created and presented by licensed clinicians. Families can access helpful information and support on important topics such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, bullying, social media, substance abuse, grief and loss, and more — all designed to help parents confidently support their children throughout the summer and beyond.

Be sure to check out the website for more information and to explore all available resources and courses.

• BCS internet filtering remains active year-round.

• Administrators are alerted if inappropriate material is accessed.

• All users are expected to continue following the BCS Acceptable Use Policy, which was signed at the beginning of the 25-26 school year and continues through the summer.

Our tech support team will be available throughout the summer! If you need assistance with your student’s BCS device, simply submit a help ticket using the link available on the BCS website homepage under “Summer Programs.”

Additionally, if you move out of district this summer, please submit a support ticket to coordinate a time for the device to be returned.