Stockbridge students take LEAP into summer of learning

by Laura Whitaker

Stockbridge Community Schools provided fun and educational experiences for students this summer in the Learning Explorer Adventure Program, better known as LEAP.

Thanks to district funding, more than 130 students in kindergarten to fifth grade were enrolled in the summer program. For three to six weeks, students participated in reading and STEM opportunities.

Units of study provided hands-on learning with topics such as plants, insects, animals, oceans, weather and energy. Students also could participate in field trips to the Howell Nature Center and Hawk Island in Lansing.

During the program, students also had the opportunity to work on mental health and social emotional skills with a school counselor and social worker.

All of these activities allowed students to engage their imagination and activate learning during a time when many are still “catching up” from COVID protocols and virtual learning.

The program’s success is credited to all of the Stockbridge Community School employees who took the time to work with students throughout the summer. More than 20 teachers and paraprofessionals were in the classrooms, while bus drivers, food service, custodians, and Central Office personnel also provided services. The passion for the students’ enrichment was evident in the activities and all-around fun students had coming to school for the summer.

Students discover worm grunting, imitating the sounds and vibrations of predators to make worms come up to the surface.

Stockbridge students study the life cycle of ladybugs in the Learning Explorer Adventure Program (LEAP).

Mrs. Whitt’s class takes a weekly trip to the public library to participate in the CADL Summer Reading Program.

Mr. Twining, Ms. Sam, Ms. Alex, Ms. Tiffany, and Ms. Bonnie are some of the support staff members who worked in LEAP this summer.

Hayden Fink beats Mr. Anderson in a multiplication fact race.

Kindergarten to second grade students and staff enjoy their field trip to the Howell Nature Center.