/District Departments / Office of the Superintendent
Office of the Superintendent
May 2023
Stepping Into Summer
It is hard to believe that nine months ago the 2022-2023 school year began, and that in just a few days we will say goodbye to our students for summer break. This also signals the conclusion of my first year as your Superintendent. It has truly been an amazing year. I am so proud to serve the Ball-Chatham family of students, parents, employees, and community members.
While summer signifies a time of rest and renewal for many, I also want to encourage you to keep learning alive over the next few months. Summer learning loss is a real occurrence that you can help prevent. When setting summer learning goals for your student, think small. Goals that are too large often become unattainable. Instead, choose a small goal to ensure success. Habits are built by making tiny repeatable steps. For example, if you commit to reading with your family for just 10 minutes a day, it will have a dramatic outcome. This small step will have you reading around 700,000 words each year!
For a focus on mathematics, consider taking a few minutes a day to support math fact fluency. For grades K-2, focus on addition and subtraction skills. For grades 3-5, zero in on multiplication, division, and fractions. Older students can review any concepts they struggled with this year or preview upcoming skills to build comfort and familiarity. At the high school level, two SAT practice problems a day can help prepare students for success on the exam.
No matter what your summer learning plan looks like, just having one will help your student retain the valuable information from this year and prepare for what’s next. I wish you all a happy and safe summer and look forward to our return to school in August.
Thank You,
Dr. Becca Lamon
Superintendent
Address: 201 W. Mulberry, Chatham, IL 62629
P: 217-483-2416| F: 217-483-2940 | E: blamon@bcsd5.org