Arrowhead Summer School: A Popular Supplement to Traditional School

Just because it is summer, doesn’t mean that school is over. Many students still partake in some form of summer school at Arrowhead. There are three types of summer school: 1) retake, in which students can retake classes to obtain a different grade, 2) traditional, in which students attend classes they have not taken to earn credits, and 3) online, in which students take courses to obtain credits. There are also workshops such as the college essay and mindfulness workshops. 

According to the 2019-2020 course guide, the retake summer school is composed of seven course. For math, Geometry, Algebra 1, and Advanced Algebra are offered. In math, a student needs a C or higher to move onto the next course. For students who were unable to meet this requirement during the year, summer school offers a way to make up for that class without needing to change their next years schedule.

 Furthermore, there are two science courses, Science 9 and Biology, that have prerequisites of “Science” and “Biology 1 or 2” respectivly. In addition, English 9 and 10 are offered both having a prerequisite of taking the course during the school year. Social Studies 9 and Spanish 1 are also offered with the same stipulation. 

There are also courses in which there is not a prerequisite of already taking the courses. These range from health classes to ACT prep classes. Classes are from 7:30 am to 9:55 am or from 10:00 am to 12:25. However, some classes run at a slightly different time and dates, such as the Mindfulness Workshop or Adventure Gym.

According to the junior Alexa Sievert, “Gym is definitely the most popular summer school class to take. It’s scheduled as a block class every other day during the school year and for a lot of people that is difficult to work into their schedule.” 

There are also online courses which offer more flexibility. While there are set due dates, a student can do their work at anytime. This allows busy students or students going on vacation to be able to partake in summer school. In addition, for students with limited computer access the library is open in the mornings Monday-Thursday.