Da’Mari: The most important part of a summer experience is being with the right people. Credit: Maya McFadden Photos Summer campers play tag with pool noodles. For Celentano School fourth grader Da’Mari, this summer isn’t only about chasing fun. It’s also about learning new things wi th people who care about him and make him feel safe. How exactly do you find those people, you might wonder? For Da’Mari, it’s through New Haven Public Schools’ (NHPS) summer learning academy. This summer, for the first time, the academy is offering a local camp-like experience at the Floyd Little Athletic Center field house, in addition to its usual academic, social-emotional, and STEM-based programming. NHPS’ K-8 summer programming started on July 1 and runs through July 24. It is based out of six school sites for K-4 students: Davis Street School, Bishop Woods, King/Robinson, Troup School, Hill Central, and FAME Academy. Middle school summer programming for 5th-8th graders is being hosted at Wexler Grant School. So far, Asst. Supt. Keisha Redd-Hannans reported that NHPS has over 1,400 students attending its summer learning programs. More information about the district’s open enrollment for the K-8 programming can be found on the school district’s website. At each learning academy site, students take part in academic lessons, STEM and coding activities, and extracurriculars like art and gym. While the academies have different schedules, the summer programming for NHPS takes place between 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Summer staff — which include paraprofessionals, teachers, and admin — work five hours daily. This summer NHPS introduced a new way to bring its students on field trips while saving on the cost of having to bus students too far. It used the field house to organize a camp experience for the K-8 summer participants. Assistant Principal of Physical Education and Athletics Eric Barbarito has led the effort on opening the field house to NHPS’ campers this summer. Barbarito works with a summer team stationed at the field house that is tasked with receiving K-8 students daily and hosting them for a day of fun. On Wednesday, Bishop Woods’ K-4 campers made use of Hillhouse’s pool and the field house to play several gym games. “We want them to enjoy this big building. It’s a community building and they are what it’s for,” Barbarito said. He added that the district in recent years ramped up its push for the importance of physical education for youth — through a bicycle program teaching second graders to bike safely and a third grade swim program that will kick off in the fall. “They’re learning coordination and activities they can enjoy for their entire lifetime,” he said. “Physical education has got to be up there because if you’re not healthy, all the other stuff is thrown out the window.” Students like Da’Mari arrived at the field house Wednesday at around 9 a.m. As the students filed off the bus, Da’Mari thought about the swim goggles and the life vest he had brought with him in his book bag. Despite Da’Mari not knowing how to swim, the Hillhouse pool was what he looked forward to the most on Wednesday. He explained that, while he is excited to swim, the first step in learning for him was being around the right people. Da’Mari attends Celentano School during the school year but his summer academy site is at Bishop Woods. Thanks to being on site with familiar students and staff from Celentano, Da’Mari said he got the courage to make new friends while at Bishop Woods. “My friends and teachers from Celentano are amazing. They make me feel safer,” he said. Da’Mari explained that doing things by himself can be lonely, which he doesn’t like. And so he often looks to find friends, old and new, wherever he goes. “I’m more energetic around friends that I trust with my heart,” he added. “When I’m by myself it feels like no one gets me.” How do you find friends you can trust? “Most people say test them, but I don’t really like to do it that way. I like to tell them how I feel and think, how I work, and tell them what my favorite things are so they can get to know me better.” Once he shares about himself, Da’Mari said he asks his peers about themselves and if they have something in common, and even if they don’t, “sometimes it’s good being around something new.” Another thing that helped Da’Mari meet new friends this week was finding peers who were open to helping him learn to swim instead of making fun of the fact that he hadn’t yet learned the skill. While in the pool, Da’Mari practiced kicking his legs while holding on to the pool walls. The hardest part he’s still working to master is putting his face under water and holding his breath. “It was hard putting my face under because I kept swallowing water. But my friends and amazing teachers were determined to keep us all safe,” he said. About his first time being at the field house, Da’Mari said it felt good leaving the school site. “Getting outside and learning new things always feels good,” he said. He said that while swimming was his favorite activity on Wednesday, he has not yet mastered the skill. He has, however, nearly mastered friendships. In order to know if someone is a true friend, Da’Mari concluded they must show they care about you, allow you to be yourself and stand out, and most importantly, “don’t let anyone tell or show you how they want you to be.” In 2024, NHPS used federal ARP ESSER funds to offer field trips to Camp Farnam during its summer programming. Instead of families paying between $300 and $400 a week to provide their New Haven students with summer camp, NHPS bused students from ten school sites to Durham twice throughout the summer. On Wednesday, Redd-Hannans said the district wanted to continue to provide a camp experience to students during summer break. She began talking with the athletics department to figure out what opportunities were just as fun but at a lower cost. The team decided it’d transform the field house, Hillhouse pool, and Bowen Field into summer camp. Until the end of the month when summer programming concludes, each NHPS K-8 school site will visit the field house to swim and play soccer and basketball. “We are especially pleased to offer these valuable experiences in a fiscally responsible manner, ensuring that students have access to opportunities that support both their academic growth and personal development,” Redd-Hannans told the Independent in a Thursday email. NHPS partnered with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to use its lifeguards during the camp’s swim hours. That will allow for each school site to spend two out of the 17 total summer academy days at the field house camp. Wednesday’s visit not only included physical education teachers, but also social workers and paraprofessionals who have been supporting the summer academies. Social worker Jasmine Lewis joined her kindergarten and first grade students at the Bishop Woods summer site as they played a gym game tasking them with throwing balls over a volleyball net while split into two teams. The team to get the most balls on the other side were the winners. Each of the six summer sites also has a Youth@Work student-worker supporting students’ summer development. Paraprofessional Tody Williams was assigned as an assistant coach at the field house this summer. She spent most of her day Wednesday providing students with the safety rules for the pool. Williams has been a building sub for NHPS for five years. While this is her first time being assigned to the field house for the summer, she has been taking on summer work since her arrival at NHPS. She explained that summer programs like NHPS’ make a significant difference for students by keeping them connected to routines and their peers. “When they get back in the fall, you can see who wasn’t connected, and for those that did, it usually makes their year much easier from the start,” she said. Third grader Amir said he enjoyed coming to a new place for a fun day. From learning to swim to winning three races in a row, Amir said Tuesday’s field trip left him happy and excited. Kimberly Phillips, a Celentano math coach and teaching veteran of 22 years, has been a district lead for summer programming for the past three years. She said that the field house summer camp allows for NHPS field trips to stay in New Haven and save on traveling costs. Compared to previous summer programming, she said this summer continues in the right direction of “utilizing NHPS resources and talents.” Paraprofessional Tody Williams: Students must stay connected throughout summer. A day of movement with Hillhouse PE teacher Steven DeCrosta and King/Robinson PE teacher Jai Greer. Third grader Amir leaves the field house camp Tuesday with new swim skills. NHPS Summer program leaders Jason Krauss, Jennifer Maselli, Eric Barbarito, Keisha Redd Hannans, Jennifer Kaye, and Kimberly Phillips. The post Da’Mari’s Summer Checklist: Friends, Pool, Safety appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less