Dear Arbor parents and families:

Did you know that by the end of your child’s eighth grade year they could be a full grade level behind?  This outlook is determined by activities your child will participate in during the months of June, July and August.

Students in preschool through fifth grade are given workbooks to complete over the summer each year.  This year we will order professionally created workbooks, aligned to the Michigan grade level standards and reflecting the objectives each child needs to know before entering the next grade at Arbor Academy.

According to the National Summer Learning Association, summer learning loss is linked to low graduation rates and low high school test scores. So what actually happens to students over the summer?

Research shows that:

• AT BEST, students showed little or no academic growth over the summer.  AT WORST, students lost one to three months of learning.
• Summer loss was somewhat greater in math than reading.  Summer loss was greatest in math comptuation and spelling.
• For disadvantaged students (60% of Arbor Academy students receive free/reduced lunch) reading scores were disproportionately affected and the achievement gap between rich and poor widened.

What does this mean for YOUR child?  If your child loses one month of learning each year until high school, that would equal nine months (more than a full year of school).  Regardless of income, your child is at risk of losing valuable information required to begin the next grade, and that will slow academic growth over time.

Need further proof?  Look at your child’s NWEA Parent Report given to you at conferences.  The graph on the back shows your child’s yearly growth.  Note the areas between spring and then fall.  Does your child grow, stay the same or decline over the summer?  What implications does that have for starting the next school year?  These are all questions we asked ourselves and it is why we have created the summer packet program.

What can you do to help your child decrease summer learning loss?

1. Complete the workbooks!  Arbor Academy has purchased with federal funds (Title I) summer workbooks to aide in the reduction of summer learning loss.
2. Attend the Checkpoints!  Arbor PTO and staff have set up checkpoints throughout the summer to provide help, check to ensure work is being completed and answer questions parents may have.
3. Be ACTIVE over the summer.  You do not have to spend a lot of money to keep your child’s brain activity going.  The local library has a calendar listing dates throughout the summer where your child can participate in activities and check out books AT THEIR READING LEVEL.
4. Our goal is to have 100% of all returning Arbor Academy students RETURN COMPLETED PACKETS!

2011 - Summer Packet Checkpoints

Thursday, June 23rd
Barnes and Noble

Thursday, July 7th
Barnes and Noble

Thursday, July 28th
Barnes and Noble

Thursday, August 18th
Barnes and Noble