GPS Summer Shark Splash Week 6

And that is a wrap! The final week of our 2025 GPS Extended School Year (ESY) and Summer Programs ended on a high note as students and staff reflected on a great summer together. We are grateful for six weeks of academic exploration and fun, and we are looking forward to a strong start to the 2025-2026 school year.

During the past six weeks, our kindergarten through fourth grade students worked hard at their math and literacy lessons, showing great persistence and enthusiasm. Post-assessments show that students successfully maintained, and in many cases, built upon their skills. We are so proud of their dedication, and we look forward to sharing the summer benchmark data with the community in the coming months.

Fourth graders spent time reading about the terrain of the Appalachian Trail and debated what items would be necessary in order to hike it from end-to-end. Check out Ms. Young’s class utilizing their reading and critical thinking skills as they geared up for the hike.

This summer, students participated in math and literacy enrichment lessons during small-group tutoring sessions. These activities targeted specific academic areas and maintained students’ skills, while also building confidence in reading and math.

New Lebanon had a couple of guest readers visit PreK classrooms this week. Dr. Toni Jones and Dr. Stacey Heiligenthaler shared some favorite storybooks with our youngest learners.

On Monday, Officer Wally was able to bring a special visitor to Western. You can see just how excited everyone was.

Before students completed their summer program this week, they reflected on their favorite “Summer Shark Moments” from the last six weeks. Some of their highlights included:

• Going to the planetarium
• Exploring the community garden
• Playing “rock, paper, scissors”
• Making new friends
• Being with teachers
• Math activities
• Reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
• Working on vocabulary

One of the best parts of summer school is making friends from across the district 🌟 Every classroom built an inclusive, welcoming community, and we ae so proud of our students. If your child wants to keep in touch with a new friend, email us and we will reach out to the family.

To close out our time together and celebrate all the best parts of the summer, students enjoyed popsicles in their new shades. They were excited for all the learning and fun that the next academic year will bring, too.

We want to thank you all for a wonderful summer. Our students and staff have done amazing work over the last six weeks and we are so proud of their accomplishments. Enjoy the rest of your break and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Aimee Farnum, Extended School Year (ESY) Supervisor

Dan Silkman, General Education Supervisor