by Waimea Middle School

Responding to the need to enhance academic proficiency of students in the Waimea district, Waimea Middle School is offering an Expanded Summer School this year to include all incoming 5th through 8th graders who will be attending WMS, Waimea Elementary School (5th grade), or other public, public charter or private schools. This program also will be available to families who home school students in the 5th through 8th grade.

WMS’ Expanded Summer School will run from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., June 10-28 for a total of 14 days. There will be no school on Tues., June 11, which is Kamehameha Day, a state holiday. The program will combine a strong academic focus and skill building with exciting place-based experiences including a weekly learning or community service excursion. It also will include organizational skills and basic use of technology to support the school’s recently revalidated vision of “empowering students with the skills, values and cultural understanding to successfully navigate high school and beyond.”

Cost for the program will be $50 per child which includes breakfast, lunch and busing within the Waimea district. Numerous scholarships are available.

All participating students must wear WMS student uniforms throughout the program. The school’s t-shirt uniforms are not covered by registration.

Coordinating Summer School will be WMS teachers Kathi Foster and Jamilynn Mareko.

Applications have been sent home to all current 4th-7th grade families in Waimea Elementary and Middle School, and are available in both the WMS and WES offices and can be downloaded from the school’s website: www.WaimeaMiddleSchool.org.

WMS is able to offer an Expanded Summer School because it is a public conversion charter school working in partnership with Ho’okako’o Corporation and Kamehameha Schools, and because it successfully applied for a federal Title 1 grant. The school also applied to participate in the Hawai’i Office of Child Nutrition’s federal summer school lunch program.

Early registration is recommended though the deadline is Mon., May 27, 2013.

For current 5th grade families whose student will be entering WMS 6th grade in the fall, WMS will host its annual 6th Grade Family Orientation gathering from 5-7 p.m., Wed., May 1, 2013 in the school cafeteria. This is must for all incoming families as it will include a briefing on both what it means to be a public conversion charter school and will address the important transition into middle school including unique strategies and programs WMS offers including small class sizes, technology coaching, hands-on, place-based learning integrated into core curriculum, ‘Ike Hawai’i and Mala’ai school garden experiences, and for all students, Health/PE classes and – for the first time in several years – art classes. As a public charter school, WMS also provides strong student supports for adolescents including Advisory, a counselor staff and free after-school programs including Homework Help+, Athletics, Robotics, Student Leadership and K(Arts).

For more information, call the school office 887-6090, Ext.222 or go to the school website: www.WaimeaMiddleSchool.org.