SOUTH COUNTY : Record Number Take Summer Classes

A record number of students from Lake Forest to San Clemente are taking classes this summer in the Saddleback Valley and Capistrano unified school districts, officials said.

About 3,700 Saddleback Valley Unified students are taking classes at eight schools, including El Toro High and Silverado Continuation schools, compared to 3,200 last year, said Toni McKown, summer school coordinator for the district.

In Capistrano Unified, more than 6,000 students are taking classes at 10 schools, including Dana Hills and San Clemente high schools, said Edmund Martinez, summer school coordinator.

“More kids than ever are going to school,” Martinez said. “They’re having a good time and hanging in there.”

The summer school sessions in both districts started in mid-June.

For many of the students, especially those in high school, the six-week summer school session offers a chance to make up classes or pick up some credits toward graduation, officials said.

Also, many junior high students in Saddleback Valley Unified are getting a chance to take some electives they might miss next year with the elimination of the middle school “zero period,” McKown said. The zero period, which many students had used to take music, language and reading classes, was recently cut because of budget problems.

Middle school students in both districts will also have a chance during this month to participate in the Math Renaissance Academy, a special program co-sponsored by the state Department of Education that fulfills regular summer school requirements in math review and mathematics problem-solving.

Elementary school students in both districts will also be involved in several special programs during their four-week summer school session.

At Cielo Vista Elementary School in Rancho Santa Margarita, about 25 students are learning about the ocean through the UC Irvine Young Scholar Program, which integrates writing, language arts, science and math skills with a chosen theme. The theme this summer is “Summer Schoololympics: Striving to Be Your Best.”

About 300 youngsters are also participating in the Summer Science Institute at San Juan Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano. During the program, which is offered in conjunction with UC Irvine, Nichols Institute, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and the Orange County Marine Institute, students will be learning about space, gravity, water, weather and geology.