Summer is not the end; it's only the beginning

Summer is not the end; it’s only the beginning
When asked about summer school at CCHS, many students immediately will tell you that it is the last place they’d like to spend their summer. Understandably so, since summer school is only for making up D’s and F’s… right?
Not anymore. This year, Culver City High School is taking a huge step in “preparing students to achieve excellence” through the introduction of a variety of new summer programs that can benefit almost anyone.
Now, aside from the usual summer school to make up D’s and F’s,students have the opportunity to take a variety of AP/Honors boot camps, West LA College classes, an SAT prep course, and even a Freshman transition program.
The AP / honors bootcamps are an addition that students and teachers alike are looking forward to. These classes are targeted both towards students who have not taken an AP or honors courses before and would like prior preparation, and towards students who have taken one before but would like to fine tune and strengthen their skills before the school year. These ‘bootcamps’ are available for all students from grades 9-11 and are offered in English, Math Science, and Social studies. Mrs. Cordell, one of the potential AP language boot camp teachers, believes these classes will be “a great avenue for students to build their skill level and check out whether the class is what they want without having to decide 3 weeks into a semester”. She also is excited because it will be “fun for teachers to get to know their future students and build that relationship before school even starts”. Mr. Dien, who will be reinforcing prerequisite skills and concepts needed for high level math in his Calculus/Honor boot camp, agrees that these classes will be very beneficial, commenting that, “It will even the playing field for students who have never taken an AP or honors courses before, and it will help build conceptual skills for all students”. There is no doubt that these summer programs will be a great aid in preparing students for the upcoming school year. The different courses that are being offered, along with the dates and sign-up information, can be found on the school website under News and Announcements.
West LA courses are also an exciting new addition that many high-achieving students are looking forward to. They are a chance to earn college credit- to either get ahead on classes or even make up one. They are offering two classes at the school during summer, COMM 101 and ART 103. COMM 101 focuses on the “principles of effective speech composition and delivery”, while ART 103 is “designed to expand awareness and understanding of the visual arts as a unique medium for human interrelationships”. The two classes are offered to all students 9-12 grade, and there is no fee to current CCHS students for either of these courses. To learn more information about these classes, or other classes offered through West LA to high school students as a means of credit, visit either the Culver City High School Website under News and Announcements, or www.wlac.edu.
The SAT prep class being introduced is only for the class of 2018 (rising seniors), but it looks very promising in its prospects. CCHS has partnered with PJ test prep to introduce this 3 week, 9 session prep course. Upon finding out about the introduction of an SAT class, current Senior Sarah Miller remarked that “doing well on the SAT test is imperative if you want to get accepted into a top college, so it’s amazing that they are finally offering a class that can help and support students in such an important aspect of our futures. I wish it would have been available to me a year ago when I was entering Senior year, but I’m very excited for the future success it will bring the next generation of CCHS students on the real test day”. There are three practice tests included in the course, as well as homework and helpful tips. Many students will find this course not only very helpful, but also very accessible. There are two sessions available, but space is limited, so make sure to reserve your spot now using the flyer on the school website.
The last new type of course being introduced this summer is called Freshman 101. Not surprisingly, it’s a program exclusive to freshman, with the intent of “provid[ing] students with the information and skills they will need to not only help students transition into their freshman classes, but also to prepare them with the necessary skills to make them better learners to be successful in high school and beyond”. This program is an expansion on numerous programs built for freshman already implemented at CCHS including Link Crew and Freshman Focus. Programs like these help to make Culver City High School a warm and friendly place for newcomers and freshman, and often times turn what would be a difficult transition into a smooth and even fun one.
Administrators and teachers are encouraging students to seize these opportunities by signing up for these courses. Almost everybody can benefit from at least one of these new programs, whether it be by earning credits, making up credits, preparing for the future or even just making friends. Culver City High School is constantly looking to improve and expand learning opportunities and growth for its students and hopes to see a high turnout for this summer!
Don’t forget to check out the flyer with more information including course descriptions and dates online at cchs.ccusd.org!