MINIDOKA COUNTY, Idaho — Summer school kicks off this week for students in the Minidoka County School District, but this year it looks a little different.
"It will be offered online because we can't have students back in the buildings full time yet," explained Suzette Miller, the district's Secondary Student Achievement Director. "The part we're excited about, I guess you could call it a blended or a hybrid model, is we will have certified teachers who will be in the building."
The district says students will have their typical online classes and an hour with the class via google meets, but the hybrid model allows the students to have an in-person element to summer school as well. Each teacher will have "office hours" where students can make appointments to meet with their teachers in person.
"We've designated one space, a common area at West Minico and teachers can either invite students to come in who look like they're having some struggles based on watching their progress online, or if students just feel like 'hey I really need to talk one on one with the teacher and get some help,'" Miller said.
The district says summer school is an important opportunity for students to catch up, especially because most school districts across the state pivoted to online learning after spring break due to COVID-19. It's also a way for the students to get extra practice with the online learning systems.
"We definitely have some students who need to use this time to get caught up on things maybe they missed, or in some cases we have some high school students wanting to get ahead," Miller said. "The first couple of days will be spent teaching them how to use an online platform."
The district will follow all of the COVID-19 prevention protocols, including wearing masks, checking temperatures, and sanitizing.
For more information on summer school, you can check out the district's website.
