By Joan Goodchild
Community Reporter
Shrewsbury – Sherwood Middle School is finished with its 2010-2011 school year, but the building is still alive with students this summer. That's because there is a newly launched summer enrichment program at the school. It's an idea born out of the notion that there are many local students who would prefer an academic experience at a summer camp, as opposed to a sports-centric environment.
“We had many parents inquire about more academically enriching summer programs,” Sherwood Principal Jane Lizotte explained.
For the first time this year, Sherwood is offering programs in math, science, language arts and social studies to students in one-week sessions. Available to students in fifth, sixth and seventh grade, the catalog includes courses such as public speaking and creative writing, both of which are very popular and received high enrollment.
“It's an opportunity for students to further explore their interests in the summer,” Lizotte said, “and it's great to keep the learning going over the break. I think it's easier to get back into the school year when you’ve been learning in the summer.”
Like the summer enrichment programs at Floral Street Elementary School, which have been offered for several years, the Sherwood program will also feature small class sizes and lots of individual attention from teachers. The instructors are from the school system and are experienced middle-school teachers, so they are used to teaching students in the age group of the Sherwood program, Lizotte said.
Some courses still have seats available and are open to enrollment. The cost for each one-week session is $72 for morning or afternoon courses. For a full-day (two courses per week) it is $144. The program runs through the end of July.