NAHANT — Learning is continuing beyond the final bell of the school year for the 42 Johnson Elementary School students participating in the school’s summer enrichment program.
The five-week, free curriculum is funded by Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, and aims to compensate for educational opportunities that were lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program focuses on science, math, reading, and writing while providing hands-on interactive activities. Principal Kevin Andrews explained that the activities are a useful segue to maintain the students’ enthusiasm for reading and writing.
With a background in elementary science, Andrews runs the program with three Johnson School teachers, one paraprofessional, and a nurse.
“We’re trying to get them excited about reading and writing by opening each day with either a math or science lesson,” Andrews explained. “If you just showed up and said, ‘We’re going to copy a spelling list,’ that doesn’t do as much.”
Tuesday morning’s science lesson had the students race around the school’s Forest Playground, identifying plants that had been tagged.
Meanwhile, rising first-grade students were doing their best Thomas Edison impressions as they harnessed electricity to illuminate light bulbs. Teacher Nancy Grigorian taught them the difference between electrical conductors and insulators. The students were then tasked with testing more than 10 materials to see if they would cause their bulbs to light up.
Students Jack Canty and Cassia Amancio sat together at a table, and by working together, they realized their metal chairs worked as conductors. Amancio said this experiment was her favorite part of the program so far.
The program will continue every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. until Aug. 11.
