Edition One

Summer is the perfect time to relax, recharge, and create new memories—but it's also a great opportunity to keep learning alive. In this edition of the Summer Success Series, Dr. Luke Smith, Principal of Orchard View Intermediate School, shares why even small learning activities can have a big impact on student success. Whether it's reading for a few minutes each day, practicing math skills, or exploring a new interest, every step helps students stay engaged, build confidence, and prepare for a strong start to the new school year.

Watch this week's video and continue exploring the resources, activities, and community opportunities available through the Summer Success Series. Together, we can help every student stay on the path to success all summer long.

Travis Williams, M.Ed.

Family & Community Engagement Coordinator

As summer gets underway, we encourage students to continue practicing important math fluency skills in fun and engaging ways. Math fluency helps students build confidence, strengthen number sense, and solve problems more efficiently. Just a few minutes of practice each day can help students maintain skills and feel prepared for the next school year.

Summer math practice does not need to involve long worksheets. Playing card games, rolling dice, counting objects, solving quick math challenges, drawing with sidewalk chalk, watching math videos, and talking about numbers during everyday activities are all excellent ways to build fluency skills.

This edition includes daily at-home practice ideas, online videos, and free online games that encourage students to build math fluency skills in fun and engaging ways.

Thank you for supporting your child’s learning this summer!

Fluency Skills:

• counting to 20 and beyond
• counting objects accurately
• recognizing numbers
• counting forward and backwards (recommendations: for counting forward, don’t always start at 1, change “start number” daily. For counting backwards, don’t always start with 20 or 10)
• identifying numbers out of order

Easy Ideas:

• count toys or snacks
• count steps outside
• sidewalk chalk number paths
• number scavenger hunts

Movement Math:

• hop while counting
• jump on sidewalk chalk numbers
• clap counting patterns
• count outdoor objects
• march while counting

Fluency Skills:

• addition and subtraction within 20
• counting forward and backward (Recommendations: for counting forward don’ always start at 1, change “start number” daily. For counting backwards, don’t always start with 20 or 10)
• skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s
• understanding place value
• solving simple word problems

Easy Daily Practice:

• roll dice and add numbers
• practice doubles facts
• count objects around the house
• use sidewalk chalk number paths
• play card addition games

Fluency Skills

• addition and subtraction within 100
• place value understanding
• skip counting
• mental math
• telling time
• solving one-step word problems

Easy Daily Practice:

• skip count while jumping
• practice mental math facts
• solve quick addition races
• play fact toss games
• use cards for greater/less than

Fluency Skills

• multiplication and division facts
• addition and subtraction fluency
• place value
• fractions
• problem-solving

Easy Daily Practice:

• multiplication card war
• fact fluency races
• sidewalk chalk equations
• skip counting obstacle course
• fraction models with food or chalk

Fluency Skills

• multiplication and division fluency
• multi-digit operations
• fractions and decimals
• place value
• problem-solving strategies

Easy Daily Practice:

• multiplication flash challenges
• decimal comparison games
• fraction sidewalk art
• mental math challenges
• real-world money problems

Fluency Skills

• multiplication and division fluency
• fractions and decimals
• multi-step problem-solving
• volume and measurement
• mental math

Easy Daily Practice:

• fraction comparison games
• decimal number challenges
• mental math races
• coordinate grid drawings
• multiplication and division fluency practice

This editions’s “Summer Stories” activities encourage students to build creativity, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills through fun summer-themed literacy tasks. Students will create comic strips, write vacation narratives, explore figurative language, practice expressive reading through reader’s theater, and use summer vocabulary in creative writing activities. Families can support students by encouraging at least 20 minutes of daily reading, discussing books together, and helping students talk through their ideas before writing.

Students can access the tutoring services through the Schoolhouse website at the link below.

This edition from the American Heart Association includes topics on:

• water safety
• CPR
• healthy recipes
• and more!

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.

Give your child a summer filled with adventure, learning, and fun at Orr’s Farm Day Camp! Campers will enjoy hands-on activities in plant and animal science, art, music, and cooking, along with hayrides, playground time, and harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables.

Children will head home with fresh-picked goodies, new skills, and a deeper appreciation for where their food comes from—all while making lasting memories and friendships along the way!

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

From 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.