As summer approaches, many Aztecs prepare to start summer school or college. Many
students utilize summer school to get ahead of credits, earn college credit, or make up for
grades they are not proud of. This article will explain the purpose of summer school or summer
college, a breakdown of the different programs offered, and how to be successful in them.
First, what is summer school or summer college? Summer school at Esperanza has six
different programs for students to choose from. As previously stated, many people use this as
an opportunity to get ahead of required credits in order to free up elective space in their
schedules. On the other hand, many students use it to retake a semester of a class they had
previously failed. It should be noted that the summer course grade will not replace your original
D or F, but instead, both grades will be factored into the GPA calculation. Depending on the
colleges or Universities' requirements, they may require both grades or just one. Summer
college courses at Esperanza are for people who either want to get ahead of credits but none of
the summer school options is a good fit or for people who are potentially trying to earn college
credit. The benefits of earning college credits would allow someone to possibly graduate early in
order to save money or get into the workforce faster.
The process for enrolling in summer school has already started because counselors
have come to classes to explain how to enroll. Your couscous should have reviewed your
history and they will work with you to determine what will best fit you. The deadline for PYLUSD
is in May, but other programs through colleges will have open enrollment. In addition, there is a
limit to how many credits can be taken per summer and that will be determined by the program.
One of the more common programs is Pacific Coast High School and it is 100% online
so you never have to worry about going in person to classes. PCHS summer programs start on
July 1st and will end on August 10. Make sure if you are enrolled in this program that you look in
your emails on July 1st for login information to begin the course. Depending on what courses
you are enrolled in, it will depend if you have to take a final for the class. For basic classes such
as Health and careers a final is not necessary. Through this program, there is a maximum of 10
credits which would equate to two semesters.
Another program that is frequently used by EHS is ACCESS, which will start on June 20
and go through August 5. This is considered an independent study program which means that
students will work by themselves at home and then meet at El Dorado High School once a
week. Once your application is approved you will receive an email and the teacher will reach out
before the course starts. Through this program, a student is able to complete a maximum of 15
credits or three semesters.
In order to immediately be at school EHS uses El Camino high school for summer
school. This program is completed in person, Monday-Thursday from 9 AM to 12:25 PM. This
will operate like a school where students pick up their schedules and the schedules will appear
in Aeries. This course stretches from June 27-July 28. This is a great program for people that
like to have complete in-person classes in order to stay focused.
IMPACT is another PYLUSD summer program for students to utilize. Something
different about this program is that there are two sessions. One session is from June 27-July 12
and the second session is From July 13-July 28 and it is completely in person at El Dorado High
School. People who are part of this program will get an email of confirmation and then will pick
up schedules on the first day of their session. The max amount of programs that can be taken
through IMPACT is 20 credits or four semesters.
FCC is another program that has multiple options for sessions and schooling types.
Students that were referred to online learning will begin on June 20-July 24 and that would be
completely independent. For students that want to be independent but with some guidance,
there is a Zoom session in Jue20-July21. In addition, there is an online session that is at
Eldorado high school from June 27-July 28. During the week it is Monday through Thursday
from 9:00 am to 11:35 AM. Many students enjoy this program because of all the different
options. There is also a 20 credit max on this course so it’s great for taking multiple courses.
The last program through PYLUSD is Method and like PCHS it is completely online.
Students will receive an email before the course starts with any necessary information about the
course or login information. The course spans from July 1- August 12 making it a longer one.
Teachers will offer daily support zooms for students struggling.
One drawback to summer school is having to stay focused on school while it’s summer.
One thing that is important when doing summer school, especially when it's online, is to set
aside an hour to two hours a day to make sure your work is complete. Another option is to set
weekly goals and do what is necessary to achieve those goals each day. It’s very easy to want
to procrastinate on summer school assignments because your friends are going to the beach,
but it is important to hold yourself accountable and complete the assignments.
If you have any questions or are confused about summer school or college, reach out to
your counsel or our college and career technician.
