Summer learning has begun!

Miss Yekulis teaches summer school students Braxton Harper, Andrew Perkins, Mary McGoff, and Legend Kohler about how to be journalists for the Manchester Mirror. Photo by Deidra LaPointe.

Submitted by Melissa Yekulis

The Title 1 summer learning program kicked off  July 7 at Riverside. This summer’s program is hosting kindergarten through fourth-grade students and is providing support in literacy and mathematics. New this year, the program has added a goal of making learning real and purposeful with the support of field trips to local community businesses. The children visit a different business each day to learn how the business works and how they use reading and math in their work. On Monday, children were also presented with an additional writing challenge.

After each field trip, children will write about their experience and one of their stories will be featured in the Manchester Mirror. Each child will have an opportunity to be a published writer this summer!

For the first week, summer school visited four downtown businesses. On Tuesday, the children enjoyed their first weekly trip to the Manchester District Library. Children enjoyed making crafts, playing with Legos, and had the opportunity to check out two books to enjoy for the week.

On Wednesday, the children walked to Tres Beau Salon and learned about the chemistry of coloring hair, math terms for scissors, and how money is used at the cash register from owner Carrie Neff.

Thursday, children went to the Manchester Community Resource Center. They learned how the center provides food to families and children and ways they help the community from Melissa Licavoli and Carol Wotring. Finally, on Friday, children were able to visit SteeleGrafix. The children were treated with a tour of the facility and learned how their shirts are made for their sports by Dawn and Denny Steele. At the end of the tour, each child was gifted with a Manchester T-shirt!

The teachers and students wish to extend special thanks to each of the businesses for opening their doors to teach the children in the summer months. Stay tuned next week to learn more about their summer school adventures!

Here are their articles:

Manchester Mirror

Andrew Perkins writes for the Manchester Mirror after a field trip. Photo by Melissa Yekulis.

by Andrew Perkins, Future 4th Grade Student

Our summer school is going on field trips to stores in Manchester. After we go, we come back to school to write for the newspaper. You can try to go to the store after work.

Manchester District Library

Camden Tselios enjoys his latest checked out books from the library. Photo by Melissa Yekulis. Photo by Melissa Yekulis.

by Camden Tselios, Future 2nd Grade Student

There are stairs. There are books. There are toys.

Tres Beau Salon

Tres Beau Salon owner Carrie Neff models how she cuts hair with her helper, Sydney Porter, for the children of the Title 1 summer school program. Photo by Melissa Yekulis.

by Sydney Porter, Future 2nd Grade Student

I like to sweep the floor and I like to get my hair cut. I like the color blue in my hair.

Manchester Community Resource Center

Poppy helps push the cart of donations for the Community Resource Center. Photo by Melissa Yekulis.

by Poppy, Future 2nd Grade Student

The food is free. I was helping. I pushed the cart of food to the room. We checked the dates.We put the food on the shelves. We played shopping then we got stickers.

SteeleGrafix

Kensie Stacey explores the Manchester gear available at SteeleGrafix. Photo by Melissa Yekulis.

by Kensie Stacey, Future 2nd Grade Student

They make hats and t-shirts. They use a machine to put a picture on a shirt. At the end they gave us a shirt. I like the hats.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.