Hamilton Heights School Corporation has received a $25,000 grant from Duke Energy to help fund a new program set to begin in July.
The program, entitled HHSC Summer Jumpstart, has been designed for Heights’ most “at-risk” students who recently completed Kindergarten, first and second grades. A maximum of 60 students can participate in this interactive remedial reading program that will be conducted for four-and-a-half hours for 10 days prior to the start of the school year. Student selection is based on an in-depth identification process and need for the additional reading remediation.
According to program coordinator Denise Wisley, each student will have an individualized curricular component designed around deficiencies noted in STAR Reading and Aims Web Plus data testing at the end of the grade year just completed. “Through Ticket to Read, an online program, our goal is for students to set and meet individual reading goals and demonstrate improvement in deficient areas,” she said. “The program will help students continue to learn more complex letter-sound relationships, develop their decoding and encoding skills and read stories where comprehension and fluency are emphasized throughout the program.”
Upon completion of their participation in the HHSC Summer Jumpstart Programs, students should see an increase in phonemic awareness and phonics decoding skills, reading fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension in fiction and informational text by reading strategically and reading more independently for information and/or pleasure — not to mention move into the next grade more prepared for success at the next level.
“This generous gift will be of great service to our students,” said Dr. Derek Arrowood, Hamilton Heights School Corporation Superintendent, who credits staff at Sheridan Community Schools for their assistance in helping Heights with the funding application process. “Sheridan has a similar program that has been well-received and successful in their district. We are excited about the impact and long-term possibilities this type of program will have on our students.”
Mark LaBarr, Community Relations Manager at Duke Energy, said, “Literacy is a major part of student success, and it affects a student’s education in all subjects. Developing young, successful readers can have an impact beyond the individual student and extend to the community.”
The program is one of 20 that received Duke Energy Foundation grants for summer reading initiatives. This grant is part of an approximately $400,000 investment the Duke Energy Foundation is making in summer literacy programs.
This grant will provide the bulk of the funding for teacher salaries, supplies and transportation to and from school. HHSC has secured additional funding to provide students breakfast and lunch along with a well-earned celebration after the program.
With initial funding secured, our team of nine administrators, staff and teachers have been working diligently behind the scenes to ensure a successful and sustainable inaugural roll out next month,” continued Dr. Arrowood. “We greatly appreciate Duke ‘spreading the wealth’ and making a difference at Heights.”