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Students in the Community School Investigators (CSI) Summer Learning Enrichment Program enjoy a treat earlier this summer during outdoor activities.

More than 700 elementary school stu­dents tossed graduation caps in the air last week to mark the completion of an inner-city summer school program.

The students took part in the Community School Investigators (CSI) Summer Learning Enrichment Program. Each student received a certificate in recognition of their efforts during the five-week program, which officially ended with an Aug. 10 graduation ceremony.

Thirteen inner-city schools, including David Livingstone and William Whyte in the North End, as well as John M. King and Sister MacNamara in the West End, took part in the program.

Mercy Sackay, a teacher at Sister MacNamara and the school’s CSI co-ordinator, said the six-year-old program helps students to become better prepared for returning to the classroom in the fall.

"As an educator I find kids are coming back in September and it can then take a month before student reading levels pick back up. They tend to be very low compared to the end of the previous year," she said.

Sackay said it’s not only language arts skills that erode during the summer break. She said teachers often see students who were proficient in basic math strategies the previous spring struggle when they return to class in the fall.

 In addition to class time, children aged six to 12 took part in a variety of educational, recreational and cultural activities including field trips as part of the program.

Cindi Lacquette, a mother whose three children were enrolled in the CSI program, said it makes a huge difference in her kids’ preparations for the upcoming school year.

"The work my kids do over the summer in the program does reflect in their studies," she said.

Her daughter Henryetta, who will be attending Grade 7 at Gordon Bell High School this fall, said the field trips were one of the major highlights of the program.

"For sure the trip to the Cindy Klassen Centre was my favourite," she said of the popular West End recreation centre.

Other students were just as enthusiastic.

Nestna Nestna, 9, who will be attending Grade 5 classes at Sister MacNamara Elementary this fall, said she enjoyed every minute of her CSI experience.

"It was a pretty fun five weeks. It was all good!"

Sackay said approximately 720 students participated in this year’s CSI program, which introduced education concepts kids will see during the upcoming year.

"While the goal of the program is the same at each school, we could look at the program area of each students and introduce concepts they will be learning about in their respective upcoming school year," she said.

The CSI program receives support from the Winnipeg School Division as well as the Province of Manitoba, United Way, Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development and the Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg.

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