Is your child learning this summer?

There won’t be a “summer slide” for these East Rockaway students. The Summer Climb program is in full swing, with 1st through 11th graders honing their academic skills and making friends in the process in the Summer Climb program.

“It’s really a summer camp with an emphasis on education,” Joseph Polite, the program coordinator, said. “We want them to come here and have fun, and learn in the process. That’s the big thing: we can learn and have fun.”

The program is catered to each age group. Grades 1 through 6 have a STEM program where they learn the scientific method creatively. Projects have included a hands-on activity that simulated an oil spill, and building structures out of toothpicks and marshmallows. The Summer Climb program aims to promote literacy as well, both through a book club and a music class where kids take a closer look at Disney lyrics they know and love.

“It’s a different way to hook them with literature,” Polite said. “It’s another way for them to read and interpret meaning and art and story.”

The middle schoolers focus more on academics. Students take a brief diagnostic test on a software iReady, which assesses their strengths and areas that can be improved. Half of class time is independent work, while the other half is spent with a teacher in a group.

“The kids are actually really enjoying it,” Polite said. “The way the teachers are running it right now, and the relationship they have with the kids — the program tries to make those connections in the social element as well.”

The Summer Climb’s physical fitness program is open to grades 7 through 11, and is focused on making it easier for students to stay active and get stronger both physically and mentally. Several of the district’s sports coaches guide students through weightlifting, yoga and meditation, agility practice, and more.

“They thoroughly enjoy that,” Polite said. “They come, work out, get stronger, blow off some steam, and hang out with friends.”

What makes this summer special is the fact that all the students are under one roof. While the Summer Climb program is typically divided into respective elementary, middle, and high school buildings, the district’s current construction projects required this year’s program to take place all together in the high school.

“The younger kids love having the high school kids here,” Polite said. “And it gives the older students a chance to be role models and be viewed in that light.

Polite said that teachers have noticed that students who have participated in the Summer Climb program return to school with much stronger skills — academically and beyond.

“You definitely can see it socially and emotionally,” Polite said. “It’s vital for students to have a safe place to go to hang out with friends, and build the connection with the school, the community, and with their teachers.”