Ripon Unified’s Summer School 2024 could be deemed a successful four-week program.

Director of Curriculum & Instructions Dana Phelps, Harvest High Principal Kathy Diederich, and Coordinator of Special Education Ann Siegel, and Ripon High Assistant Principal Alisha Vasche provided a recap of the “Superhero Academy” at Monday’s school board meeting.

Phelps gave a quick breakdown, by the numbers, of those who attended this year’s summer program:

·         185 students were intervention for TK-5.

·         38 students, kindergarten through eighth graders, were in extended school year.

·         63 students incoming sixth through eighth graders took part in the STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts Math).

·         24 students, fifth graders through high school, participated in the House of Rock band, under the direction of teacher Steven Dougherty.

·         23 students were in orchestra.

The teaching staff consisted of 16 instructors, using the Heggerty curriculum for reading intervention along with various read aloud and thematic activities to focus on comprehension, writing, and grammar.

Those in math used materials created by the Teacher on Special Assignment Mrs. Patty Goeppert.

In addition, 16 para educators were brought in to provide support in the classrooms during small group intervention and to help with lunch and recess duties.

The result of summer school at Ripon High saw a total of 390 units recovered with the help of 78 classes – the program also provided credit recovery for some 64 students, Vasche said.

She noted that 27 students took advantage of the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts in a math camp.

“This is the first time RHS has run a math camp for advanced concepts,” Vasche added.