By Donald Gilpin

With the need for support and enrichment greater than ever before, Princeton Public Schools (PPS) will be offering a record number of continuing and new programs and courses this summer, from kindergarten orientation to catch-up courses for students who have not experienced success in hybrid or remote classrooms to preparations for AP chemistry and biology.

“This is the most comprehensive summer program ever offered by the Princeton School district,” said Interim Superintendent Barry Galasso. “Our summer program focuses on academic, social/emotional, and bonding activities that are designed to prepare students for the reopening of school in September.”

Valerie Ulrich, PPS grant writer and coordinator of special programs, explained that in addition to all the summer offerings Princeton families have come to expect, this year’s lineup provides an increased focus on the social and emotional needs of PPS students and an expansion of “bridge” programs to help facilitate transitions from elementary school to middle school and middle school to high school, as well as entry to kindergarten.

“Classes are small, incorporate project-based learning and are in-person so that teachers can focus as much on rebuilding relationships with and among their students as on academic achievement,” Ulrich said.

She noted that the receipt of federal funds through the CARES act along with unprecedented need for support and enrichment called for expanded summer programming.

Ulrich cited three main goals of the summer programs: “to allow students to engage in unfinished learning from this unprecedented school year”; “to bring students together to engage in teamwork, cooperative problem solving, and collaborative decision making, all of which are critical 21st century skills that were difficult to cultivate during remote learning”; and “to help students reconnect to their teachers, their school, and their classmates.”

Virtual summer programs are available, but most programs are in-person to provide students with the time and connection they need after a year of isolation, she added, noting that the offerings address a wide variety of needs and target many different types of students. Enrollment and interest so far have been high, she said.

New programs this summer include PHS extension courses in a wide variety of subjects, some requiring an application or invitation, some targeting students who have not experienced success in the hybrid or remote classroom, and some targeting students who have been identified as having particular interests or potential. 

Among the other new courses and programs are a humanities bridge course for rising ninth graders; Tiger Camp for rising seventh and eighth graders who are Title I eligible; a bridge program for rising sixth graders who are Title I eligible; and Connections programs at Littlebrook and Riverside for rising K-sixth graders in need of academic support.

Other programs offered by PPS this summer include Biology Bridge, accelerated math series, and virtual school—all in their second year — as well as Jump Start and Dual-Language Immersion Jump Start, LEAP (Learning Enrichment in the Arts Program), PHS Summer English Language Learners, Accelerated Chemistry, Special Education Extended School Year; SAT Prep/College Essay Writing at PHS; and Educere online courses.