With summer break rapidly approaching and outdoor activities increasing, it is appropriate to jot a few words down about summer related “happenings” in Branford Public Schools.

This summer the district will again run a Summer Scholars program for students in need of additional experiences in reading instruction. This fun-filled program is theme-based and designed to promote continuous improvement in reading. Students are organized in small groups and led by highly qualified staff that use the workshop model to improve each student’s reading skills. The program runs from July 27 to Aug. 13 and is held in the Branford High School lower media center. Transportation is provided by the district and we anticipate having more than 100 students in the program.

Another innovative program called Summer Meals will again run this summer. This program provides breakfast and lunch to children 18 or younger at no charge. Last year, more than 9,000 meals were served over a six week period; truly an astounding number. This year’s program runs from June 22 to Aug. 14 and is held at Branford High School and Tisko Elementary School. We encourage you to take advantage of this program and if you are interested in volunteering please go to www.SignUpGenius.com/go/70A0B44AAAE23A46-branford2/. With your help, we hope to exceed the number of meals served last summer.

Whether students are attending the Summer Scholars program or enjoying a delicious meal prepared by the exceptional staff of Chartwell’s, children in grades kindergarten to 6 may access e-books via their MyON account. This summer marks our third year of using MyON as part of the district’s summer reading initiative. Our district has read 42,872 e-books—a remarkable number! Branford is considered a model district by the MyON corporation because we consistently surpasses all utilization expectations of MyON in and out of the classroom.

With spring’s door closing and summer’s opening, Branford Public Schools is prepared to support summer activities by providing, a little something for the mind and body. I wish you a safe and happy summer.

As always, I ask for your assistance in making future columns as meaningful as possible by soliciting suggested topics. Please email suggested topics to bpschats@branfordschools.org.