Making the transition from one phase of life to another can be a daunting experience. In recognition of this fact, a growing number of school districts are offering summer courses to help students adjust to the first year of middle school, junior high, or high school. Chastain organized the weeklong camp with help from the family resource centers at three of the five elementary schools that feed into Jessie Clark. Students learn the dress code, their locker combination, school rules, and are tested in reading and math to help the school assess their academic skills. They also learn about what's expected of them in middle school, how to get along with their peers, control their tempers, and be appreciative and responsible.
Students tour the building and meet the teachers and other staff.
Several guests spoke to the students, including former University of Kentucky basketball star Jamal Magloire and Hasan Davis, director of Youth Empowerment Solutions. The hope of this week is to give them the confidence and the knowledge that this is a place where they can be comfortable,'' Davis says. Students with perfect attendance and minimal or no discipline problems are treated to a pool party on the final day of camp. High School offers two, four-week summer institutes to help ninth graders adjust to high school, while boosting reading and writing abilities and instilling leadership skills and the motivation to succeed. Students are referred by their middle schools based on academic performance.