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Now that summer is over, program staff is hard at work preparing for all of our students during the school year. Our to do list is massive, including preparing materials, deep cleaning, re-arranging, re-decorating, and editing the curriculum taught during summer camps.
Preparing materials is one of the most time consuming activities. We are completing projects such as creating 120 sets of 17 business checkbooks—that’s over 16,000 pages of checks! We are also creating shop folders for every shop for Young Ameritowne, Ameritowne On-the-Road, and International Towne.
Our deep cleaning gives us a chance to take a concentrated look in each shop and make small changes that will allow Towne to run more efficiently. This year in Young Ameritowne many sponsors are upgrading their shops as well. I won’t go into any detail just yet, but know that you can expect a more colorful and vibrant Towne! Having new supplies and equipment in our shops allows for further learning opportunities for young people when they come for their day in Towne.
A large part of the month of August is spent editing curriculum and aligning with state and common core standards. We use the same curriculum during the summer as the teachers use during the year, and it is a great opportunity for us to really see what the students are learning before they come for a day. The programs staff has been working hard to fix small parts of lessons that may not have run smoothly in the past. This is really fun, because in order for the Programs staff to know if a lesson is going to work with children, we have the chance to test it with each other and see what works and what doesn’t.
Even though it is great to have a few weeks to clean and prepare for the school year, our building just doesn’t quite feel the same without an abundance of happy children. We are excited for a new year!
