By Abigale Paterniti, Staff Writer
Any summer plans? You may have none, but your teachers certainly have plans for you. Summer preparation for the next grade level is crucial to ensure a smooth transition from this year to the next. Before the summer break begins, students can expect teachers from the River Hill math department, world language department, English department, and even the dance department to recommend assignments for students to complete over the summer. Friendly review guides, exercises, and study packets may not seem like the ideal way to kick off the summer, but more often than not, these reviews help relieve the stress and worry for students in the month of August when school resumes.
“To prepare students I will give them a packet, but it is difficult to hold them accountable, so it is more of a suggestion.” Madame Ayoub, River Hill French teacher, explains when asked about how she aids students over the summer to maintain their novice language level. In these packets, there are “grammar review sheets, and other things related to that to work on.” Beyond just grammar and vocabulary practice, Ayoub expresses the importance of listening and writing French in real time. Ayoub recommends to her students to “Write in a journal every week for 15-20 minutes.” in hopes that students will maintain and improve their confidence with writing in French over the summer. Most of all, Ayoub values the importance of listening to the target language. “Listening to podcasts, changing the speed based on difficulty, choosing podcasts based on interest.” are ways students can be proactive in closing the gap between writing and understanding the French language. Ayoub’s favorite podcast to recommend to students is Podcast Francais Facile, because of its wide index of podcast options, sorted by level, and information.
On the other hand, River Hill math teacher Mrs. Allshouse recommends that “current Sophomores start looking at SAT/ACT review.” utilizing different “prep books, Khan Academy or prep courses available.” When asked if she believes students value the resources available to them to stay engaged she remarks that “some students do a fantastic job of making sure that they take advantage of every resource.” while on the other hand, “other students are less motivated and don’t know what’s available.” But most of all, Mrs. Allshouse hopes that over the summer “students [will find the chance] to rest, and relax.”
Furthermore, Mrs. Byrd, director of River Hill’s dance department, is motivated for the reason that her students will be returning to her classes after the summer break, and would be most pleased to see her students’ skills and talents improved. One of the main ways to maintain dance skills is through summer intensives and summer camps. Mrs. Byrd provides both, as she says, “Students are encouraged to attend summer dance camps, workshops, and intensives either here at River Hill, at their studio, or conventions” And she has faith that her students will attend. Mrs. Byrd also is quick to add that, “River Hill is a special place that goes above and beyond to make sure students have what they need to accomplish their goals after high school.”
All the same, 10th-grade English teacher Mrs. Curry recommends books from her own library and the Howard County High School summer reading book list to her students to keep them on their toes. This reading list can also be found in the media center. A great way to spend time relaxing is with a fun summer read. The real challenge is finding the perfect book. Luckily, English teachers in River Hill’s English department will be willing to recommend your next read. Especially Mrs. Curry, who is eager to provide book recommendations to her students throughout the year, creating an ongoing list of around 130 books for her students to choose from, with a wide range of genres and difficulty.
With the excitement of summer, homework and studying may often seem to be the farthest thing from a student’s mind. With the resources available to help students prepare for the coming year over the summer, it may seem convenient to forget about them. But the difficult truth for many students is that with summer comes great responsibility, to continue progress and refine skills, not only for your teachers’ sake but especially for yourself.