Summertime.  School’s closed for three months, right?  Not so. 

            At Shelton School and Evaluation Center, there’s plenty of summer action. Some 600 students (Early Childhood through grade 12) are enrolled for a variety of classes – some for academic credit, others for enrichment. Others are signed up for athletic camps.

            In addition, many adults are expanding their skills.  Shelton offers professional training courses to teachers during the summer.  Class offerings include Montessori Applied to Children at Risk, testing and referral, and numerous academic language therapy programs.   Several of the courses may be taken for college credit through a cohort program with Dallas Baptist University.  Instructors come from throughout the United States and even abroad to participate in the courses, and Shelton’s outreach and training personnel take their training on the road.

            Says high school teacher Kathryn Baird, who is working toward a certification in Montessori education, “I feel that adding new skills will give me the tools to help more students in the approach that works best for them.”

            “The summer months afford adults the opportunity to hone their skills, just as they do for younger students,” says Nancy Coffman, who heads Shelton’s outreach and training. 

            Says Shelton Executive Director Suzanne Stell,  “Summer for sure includes family vacation plans, but it’s also a great time to structure learning differently.  At Shelton we say ‘take a vacation, but not from learning.’ “