Summer school continues for approximately 200 Ponca City Public School students at Lincoln Elementary through June 24. Students meet for instruction from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Summer school principal Teri Vogele said the focus this summer is on literacy. “We are working on independent reading,” she said. “Students have an article of the day where they develop knowledge of vocabulary.”

Vogele said students use Imagine Learning and that program has a learning pathway for each student. Payne Phonics is also used for the students.

Vogele said due to COVID-19, students missed instruction time. “We are trying to fill in the learning gaps created by COVID-19.”

Summer school students attending Lincoln Elementary are from throughout the entire school district. “We currently have 18 teachers here teaching children from kindergarten through fifth grade,” said Vogele. “The teachers and students are here because Lincoln is a big school and we have the classroom space. This school also usually does summer feeding so it works out well.”

Approximately 45 students ride the bus to Lincoln each day.

Summer school students at Lincoln are also offered free food as part of the Summer Food Program. “Each student is given a sack breakfast in the mornings that they take and eat in their classrooms,” said Vogele. The students are also given a sack lunch.

“Things are going really well,” said Vogele. “Teachers are implementing a lot of really good research-based strategies.”

The library is also open at Lincoln so students there can check out books to take home.