Throughout the summer of 2016, kids all over Garden City have been enjoying the free time that comes with not having to attend classes. Then there are the many who enjoyed the vacation by attending Garden City Public School’s Summer Enrichment Program hosted at Stratford Avenue School. A program total of 780 students participated in the four-week program that was held from July 5 to 29.
In “Woodworking,” a class for children in elementary school, students created different designs on foil such as animals or food. They then used thin wooden blocks as a frame on which to place their embossed foil.
In “Computers,” students worked in Stratford’s computer lab to make their own personalized business cards. They used Microsoft Paint to create small cards with students’ names, phone numbers, fax numbers, emails and an invented company name. They were even printed by a computer teacher to look like real business cards.
While the younger students participated in more recreational activities, those entering senior year were getting a head start in the college application process by working on their essays. A rising senior at Garden City High School found the “College Essay Writing” class “extremely helpful” because not only would the attendees have a final draft ready to send to colleges by the end of the program, but they were also getting a lot of the hard work that comes with applying to colleges out of the way.
Along with educational and recreational courses, there are also special courses for students. In “Robotics,” students learned about sound sensors in robot applications. Interesting facts included that sound sensors can detect a volume of sound as loud as a lawn mower operating outside. Students then worked on laptops to link the sensor program to small robots.
Overall, the Summer Enrichment Program is very helpful to all students in Garden City Public Schools and, needless to say, it certainly lived up to its name.
—James Murphy is a student journalist
