Administrators plan for summer school

January 17, 2012

BREMEN — Though it seems a little early, students at Bremen High School should consider summer school now.
High school principal, Bruce Jennings noted that BHS will “begin rolling out the proposed summer school offerings in mid-January” as school administrators would like to determine the level of student interest as they begin scheduling students — instead of announcing the summer school offerings after the scheduling process has been going for a month or two (and then have to make adjustments).
“We want Bremen High School to continue to be a Four Star School with Exemplary Progress by providing the best education possible for our students,” said Jennings.
Typically what classes can be offered each summer (and the students who can enroll noted in parentheses) depending on interest and staffing includes:
• Government (next year’s juniors or seniors)
• Economics (next year’s juniors or seniors)
• Themes In Literature (next year’s sophomores, juniors, or seniors)
• Algebra IB (next year’s sophomores, juniors, or seniors)
• Health (next year’s freshmen through seniors)
• Physical Education I (next year’s freshmen through seniors)
• Biology IA (next year’s freshmen through seniors)
• Computer Applications (next year’s freshmen through seniors)
• Preparing for College and Careers (next year’s freshmen through seniors)
Biology was previously offered every summer until recently; noted Jennings who added, “Computer Applications and Preparing for College and Careers have never been offered as summer school courses at BHS.” In 2011 the school offered the first six courses listed above however, in 2010, only offered four: Government, Economics, English, and Algebra.
“We will also be reserving a few ‘seats’ for various online courses on an individual case-by-case basis (as we did in the summer of 2011),” said Jennings.
Students will be able to sign up for summer school beginning Monday, Jan. 16.  “We will likely establish a tentative deadline of Friday, March 16 (to allow two months to sign up),” he said however, “we will also likely allow students to sign up after the March 16 deadline if the class rosters are not full.”
The cost of summer school would be the same as what the course would be during the 2011-12 school year and costs will vary for each course. Each summer school course will be 80 instructional hours in duration beginning Thursday, June 7.
Each course will be approximately four hours a day (i.e. 8 a.m. until noon each day); however, it is possible that a couple days may extend into the afternoon so that the number of hours can be completed prior to July 4. 
“Economics has traditionally been an afternoon summer school class, and that will probably be the case in the summer of 2012,” said Jennings, further noting that if snow day make-ups are required at the end of the 2011-12 school year, the start date could be pushed back later than June 7.
Jennings hopes as many students as possible show interest in summer school.
“Our enrollment at BHS is more than 500 students, more than it has been since sometime in the 1970s, and some of our classes, especially in non-elective courses, are packed,” he explained.  “If more students would choose to take some of their required courses during the summer, it would lower the class rosters in some of these same courses during the school year — providing a lower student: teacher ratio — more conducive to a better learning environment.
“In addition, students who elect to take summer school courses would have more freedom to choose an attractive elective course in lieu of a required course (that had been completed in the summer).  It’s a win-win for both the student and the teacher.”