After many preparations, students began attending Newtown’s summer school program at Reed Intermediate School the week of July 6.

The program is set to run Monday to Thursday through the month of July.

Newtown Continuing Education Director Jennifer Arnold and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Anne Uberti both reflected on the precautions and steps taken to prepare for summer school this year, after the program had been running for a few days.

“We are doing our best to keep everyone safe and happy, and provide a safe and enthusiastic learning environment for them,” Arnold said in a phone interview.

Before the summer school program could begin, Arnold said a lot of preparation was conducted to make sure the district would meet the state guidelines for maintaining safety precautions during the pandemic. Cleaning items, supply bags for each child, technology devices for each student, measuring spaces, being able to maintain distance, face masks, face shields, and thermal touchless thermometers were all part of the plan.

Arnold said preparations also included providing a quality education and planning around the “what ifs,” like how to respond safely and responsibly if a child becomes sick. Drop-off and pickup procedures were planned so that each child is greeted by a teacher and walked to a classroom.

“We’re able to monitor social distancing as well with this, and make sure they are wearing their mask when they come in,” Arnold said.

The drop-off and pickup procedure is working so smoothly that Arnold said it may be a procedure used in future years of the program. Having a teacher greet each student allows them time to quickly communicate with parents if needed, she observed.

Uberti explained Newtown’s summer school program is available for students who are in need of extra support and who are interested in continuing their education over the summer. It is not a mandated program, and families pay to send their child/children to the program.

According to Arnold, there are 27 students in this year’s summer school program with three in-person teachers and one teacher overseeing a virtual option for intermediate aged students. The program was only open for elementary and intermediate school aged children this year.

“In addition to hoping that students get the extra boost they need, I also think that it was a great opportunity for some parents to get their kids back in an in-school setting,” Uberti said. “I think it also helped us to see the kids in the school, see them wearing the masks and how they tolerated that.”

Near the start of the week, Uberti said she visited the summer school program to see it in action. During that visit students reported how they felt about wearing masks.

“They did not love it,” Uberti shared, “but they were compliant.”

Uberti said she knows other districts struggled with the idea of providing a summer school program in the current climate, and Newtown decided to offer its program if parents wanted to take advantage of it. The virtual summer school option was offered later, as “it was hard to know what the appetite would be for students continuing to work on devices.”

Offering both the in-school option and the virtual option provides “the best of both worlds,” according to Uberti.

“I’m incredibly proud of [Arnold], who has really stepped up to the plate and just did an outstanding job organizing it,” said Uberti.

Both Arnold and Uberti said the staff overseeing the summer school program have been doing great work. The staff wear face masks and have face shields.

Arnold said the staff have been going “above and beyond” for the students in the program to provide an educational environment.

“[They] are just so amazing at providing that nurturing support as well,” said Arnold.

Uberti said she is grateful that there was no problem in finding staff members who wanted to work with the summer program and that parents trusted the district to offer a safe school opportunity for their children.