Boothbay Region Elementary School’s first-floor hallway was packed with friends and family on Wednesday, July 24 as students presented their summer projects. These 34 students, ranging from kindergarteners to rising fourth graders, are part of the school’s Title I Summer Program, a four-week experience where they can refresh their skills and prepare for the next school year.

It’s one way educators are trying to combat the dreaded “summer slide.” Jessica Lessner, BRES kindergarten teacher, said kids’ skills regress surprisingly quickly during break periods. This year’s program began in early July, and already many students had forgotten what they learned a little under a month ago. 

But tutoring in the classroom is only one part of summer school as educators endeavored to keep it fun, beginning each week with a scavenger hunt (which has the added bonus of teaching students map skills) to find the theme of that day’s lesson. Fun and creativity are the culmination of the program as students’ final projects can be about whatever they want. The only requirement is to add a little extra element, whether it's a paper mache planet or a whole lobster trap. 

“They have these wonderful ideas, and they just kind of run with it. It's way different than during the school year, where they're given a topic. This is like, ‘Well, what are you curious about? What do you want to learn about?’ It's fun,” said Lessner.

This year saw the scientific (Why is air colder at the top of a mountain?), the animalistic (Fun facts about turtles) and the foodie (How to make Sour Patch Kids), historic (History of the American Girl Doll) and international (An overview of the hit Japanese anime “My Hero Academia”), among other projects.

Afterward, visitors migrated out to the playground to enjoy a family barbecue catered by Ralph and Elena Smith from Mine Oyster and Boathouse Bistro. This is the second year the pair have volunteered their services, free of charge. “They’re so generous,” Lessner said. “It’s just so heartwarming to get to have that sort of response from people in the community.”