May 2021
The MLO Minute: By, Kimberly Caputo, Esq.
The 2020-2021 school year has been unlike any other and this Summer there are offerings for School District of Philadelphia (SDP) students that are also new and never before offered. Although COVID-19 impacted how school looked for students and teachers, it did not impact Extended School Year (ESY) Services.
Because of the new and different Summer 2021 programs offered in Philadelphia, as well as ESY, parents, grandparents, foster parents and guardians may have questions and we hope the following information is helpful.
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR REMINDERS
- Every student with an IEP is entitled to a team review to determine if ESY services are needed.
- This Summer, at this point ESY will be in person and virtual.
- This team review should have already happened as there are time requirements. If you did not have an IEP meeting to discuss ESY, you may want to ask for one immediately or contact us for a review of your situation.
- This review should take into consideration ALL the needs of your child – including academic, behavioral, and related services.
- When ESY is needed it must be “individualized” for each child. A cookie cutter ESY program (i.e. 4 days a week for a set time each day for a total of 6 weeks) may not be appropriate for your child.
- Support like a 1-1 or Personal Care Assistant (PCA) must be available in ESY as well as related services like speech, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
- ESY decisions should be reflected in a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP)/Prior Written Notice (PWN)
PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT SUMMER PROGRAMS
Grades 1 – 8 — IN PERSON
All current School District of Philadelphia students entering grades 1-8 are eligible to participate, including students with IEPs and English Learners! Keep in mind that if your child has an IEP and his/her needs require individualized support over the Summer, ESY may be the more appropriate choice.
Elementary (K-8) hours will be from 8:30 am – 4 pm. Instruction will occur between 9 am -12:45 pm and extracurriculars will be offered from 1 – 4 pm. Extra-curricular activities will be provided by Out-of-School Time (OST) programs funded by the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Children and Families. For our elementary students in grades 1 – 8, the academic aspect of the program will be focused on the following:
- Engaging lessons and project-based learning
- English language development for newcomer ELs
- Extracurricular programming, music, art, physical education, and athletics
- Foundational English Language Arts (ELA) and math skills necessary for the next grade
- Social-emotional learning
In addition to the above, students in grades 7–8 can participate in:
- Electives focused on career awareness and STEM
Grades 9 – 12 will be IN PERSON, DIGITAL, & HYBRID (depending on the program)
All students entering in grades 9-12 have an opportunity to participate in summer programming.
Students entering grades 9 and 10 (current 8th and 9th grade students), will have programs including:
- Foundational ELA and math skills necessary for the next grade
- Career Awareness
- Financial Literacy
- Fitness
- Transition support
- Social emotional learning
For students entering grades 10 -12, summer options include:
- Entrepreneurship focused programming (StartUP EDU)
- University of Pennsylvania Rising Senior Summer Academy (PennRSSA)
- Paid Internship and Work Experiences
- Core course credit attainment through Credit Recovery
- Quarter 5 Grade Improvement (Q5)
Registration is online. Registration opens: April 8, 2021
Priority Registration closes: April 30, 2021
Registration closes: May 15, 2021
To register, you will need:
- Student’s ID number
- Student’s Current Grade, School, and Address
- Student Demographic Information (DoB, Language, etc.)
- Caregiver Information
- Completed Consents
Families can register their students using the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkt_U_cPzFJYFqlfMgzeBbl4ig0gB_5pxWFBI7f9wBbJqCgg/viewform
