KENILWORTH, NJ — Brearley Middle School’s “Back 2 Basics” summer enrichment program can best be described as summer camp meets school.
But the free program offered through Kenilworth Public Schools is more than that: The educational activities are designed to address learning loss as well as students’ social and emotional needs. Back 2 Basics also supports the district’s accelerated learning goals; students who feel more comfortable after making connections and spending time in the school building will start the year ready to achieve.
Approximately 65 students attended the half-day program, which ran Monday through Thursday throughout July. Open to all seventh- and eighth-grade students, Back 2 Basics paired learning with fun through science experiments and a variety of design challenges. Crafts and sports were also in the mix. The program, offered at the Middle School, was led by eight teachers and one enrichment coordinator.
“Our instructors have been eager to get back to in-person learning and forge in-person relationships with students, so they created team-building, problem-solving activities that would allow students to work collaboratively in person once again,” said Brearley Principal Jeremy Davies.
The program’s STEM activities applied critical thinking skills to simple concepts. For example, students were challenged to build the tallest tower they could out of marshmallows and uncooked pasta. Students also investigated questions such as, “Are Double Stuf Oreos really double-stuffed?” In a twist on summer reading, students were introduced to contemporary short stories and asked to produce visual poetry using elements of typography.
The measure of Back 2 Basics’ success? Students actually liked coming to school in the summer. Incoming ninth-grader Josue Concha explained what he enjoyed about the science activities.
“The teacher embraces failure as part of the learning. We’re always observing science and taking guesses as to why what’s happening is happening. There’s no wrong answer. We just try to figure out the science,” said Concha, who added that he can’t wait to be back in school with all of his friends in September.
Students in Back 2 Basics have a head start in reconnecting with their peers and building new friendships.
“Students are socializing with their peers, they’re engaging with their teachers in a slightly different setting and they’re excited for September,” said Davies. “They’re so much more connected to school than they were even a month ago. You can see their curiosity piqued through the different classroom activities. It truly is an acceleration of learning, priming the pump for the fall.”
Federal emergency relief funds to help students rebound from the pandemic supported the Back 2 Basics program. Brearley already is planning to bring the program back next year.
“This has been a perfect opportunity to ease everyone’s nerves, both students and staff, about getting back to normal in September,” Davies said.
Photos Courtesy of Sheri Berkery