Lufkin ISD Superintendent Lynn Torres
Summertime is a busy time at Lufkin ISD, with fun camps and activities to keep students engaged and enthusiastic to learn.
Imaginarium Camp, held this past week, is just one example of our students mentoring younger campers in STEM activities. Rising sixth graders were challenged with the world’s “unsolvable problems” and put together a showcase to demonstrate their ideas for world problems including poverty and climate change while Lufkin High School rising 11th graders mentored. The students assembled a showcase to display their ideas to parents and community members.
Dual Language Camp was another opportunity for fun learning this summer for our Dual Language students. The camp focused on oral language in Spanish. One hundred and ten students attended from grades kindergarten through fifth. The students made cultural crafts, recipes and performed traditional Spanish children’s songs. Camps like these help students maintain their Spanish vocabulary over the summer.
We are fortunate as a district to be the recipient of the 21st Century-Texas ACE grant so we can offer a summer school enrichment program for our students. Some enrichment activities offered have been dance, robotics, SEL, STEM, Art and PE. Students with perfect attendance will earn a fun field trip to the zoo.
Bridge Camp is held every summer for our incoming Early College High School cohort of students entering the ninth grade. This is a time for them to get to know the new campus, know the expectations of the ECHS, meet the teachers who will be teaching their dual credit courses, meet their success coaches and just make connections with other ECHS students.
During this time, these students also will take the TSIA assessment to determine their readiness to take college courses. We are excited for the opportunities these students will have to springboard their college studies.
We also have students attending the Stephen F. Austin State University iMAS Academy Camp. The camp explores investigations in mathematics and science. This hands-on, minds-on camp focuses on scientific inquiry through dynamic teaching and learning experiences led by SFA faculty members and master teachers at no cost to students.
The day camp was held June 12-16, and the overnight camp will be held July 16-21. Camps are for students 14 to 17 years old prior to the start of camp and both camps will be hosted at the Cole STEM Building on the SFA campus.
It’s easy to lose ground in education during the summer, and the “summer slide” is a real phenomenon. Lufkin ISD is serving our students to increase their knowledge as well as their experiences. Our staff, volunteers and administration are working hard to ensure students learn and are engaged. Enjoy your summer, read, play and celebrate Lufkin ISD!