Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Friday, July 29, 2011

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Teachers could work one-on-one with students during the week-long Math Camp at Southern Middle School.

At Southern Middle School, several dozen kids opted to get a jump on classes through a week-long Math Camp.

“It’s actually a good idea. You’ll be warmed up to the building, meet some new friends and get your math skills back up to speed,” said incoming sixth-grader Josh West, who is brand new to Fayette County Public Schools. “When you go on vacation, you forget everything!” he added.

Alicia Swanner spearheaded the handful of teachers leading the camp, which aimed to help pave the way for this fall’s more challenging state standards. Southern offered a morning and an evening camp, each with three-hour daily sessions.

“It’s given the teachers an opportunity to work one-on-one with these kids, which they don’t always have in the classroom,” Swanner said. “Since it’s on the computer, the kids worked at their own pace. We could actually sit down side by side with them and work on what they’re doing.”

With the PLATO Learning system, the students could review what they’ve already covered in school and also venture into unfamiliar material.

“I really pushed myself to learn a lot of new stuff,” said Lauren Greene, who is moving up from Lansdowne Elementary. “My brain was kind of fried over the summer, and I thought I could get refreshed and see what sixth-grade math was like.”

The camp wasn’t all multiplication problems, fractions, decimals and percents. The kids also toured their new school and got to know a few teachers by name, and they met future classmates from other elementaries.

“It’s math time, but it’s also giving them an opportunity to socialize,” Swanner noted.

Colleague Jennifer Pack agreed, saying it also gave the staff a chance to informally engage the incoming middle schoolers.

“We’ve been trying to build relationships in addition to teaching math, and we’ve eased a lot of fears about starting sixth grade,” she said.

Both sides benefitted as the youngsters brushed up on their math skills and the teachers noticed who might need extra help once school starts.

“By working with these kids, we’ve got some in mind we need to target,” Pack said.

Josh said Math Camp was ideal for all levels – basic, advanced and pre-algebra.

“I placed in advanced math and thought it would be a great review for getting myself back into the school year. It’s challenging but not too hard,” he said near the end of the week. “It’s a good experience since you get to make new friends and learn math.”