This year’s Summer Express has just over 90 students registered with an average daily attendance of 89 students. The staff of 14 teachers planned activities centered around STEAM- (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) based themes. Activities range from designing and building a city out of recycled materials, do-it-at-home science experiments, learning about fractions, to making fun art projects. In partnership with School Coordinated Health and Le Bonheur, sessions were held discussing healthy snacks and eating habits with all the students. On Thursday, June 5, all the regular attendees will be going on a field trip to the Tennessee Safari Park.

On Friday, June 6, parents, families, and friends are invited to a community involvement activity where Summer Express students show what they learned during Summer Express in the East Side Intermediate School gym from 10:30-11:45 a.m. Mrs. Opal Hay from the Haywood County Schools office of Parental Involvement was a huge help with planning this activity.

We want to thank several community members for coming to speak to Summer Express students about the importance of STEAM and how things learned at Summer Express happen in real life. Don Sims, the Director of the Haywood County 21st CCLC Program, really appreciated the hard work, planning, and activities that the staff have for students. Teachers put in a huge amount of extra time planning for the success of Haywood County students. He also appreciates all of the community support that is given to before- and after-school students by the people of Haywood County.

During Summer Express Ms. Amanda Masters and Ms. Beth Ann Smith had a program inspired by a STEAM program called “Building Blocks: If Kids Ruled the City.” They provided recyclable materials for the students to design and build a city. The staff members also invited Brownsville City leaders to talk to the Summer Express students about urban development. Summer Express students liked having a lot of green space as well as the use of green energy in the city they built and did a excellent job with the project.