After a day filled with learning, students attending the Cobb Schools Summer Learning Quest at Keheley Elementary School picked out a free book to keep and read on the bus ride home. According to their Cobb Schools bus driver Philicia Harvey, the books kept the students engaged. They settled into their seats with big smiles as they began reading their new books.
The Cobb Schools Books on the Bus partnership with Scholastic was just one of the opportunities for Summer Learning Quest students to add books to their home libraries. Pallets of books arrived at all the Cobb Summer Learning Quest locations, including two middle schools. Cobb educators unboxed thousands of books, enough so each student took home at least 15 books to support literacy in the home. That is on top of the books the students had the opportunity to pick out themselves at the school and on the bus ride home. Families also received information on literacy at home and the utilization of home libraries.
“Summer Learning Quest is giving students the opportunity to get caught up on reading and math. The students may not have books in the home, but now they have books to read to get them ready for when school starts in August. Seeing the kids’ faces when they can pick a book and they see their favorite book and they can keep it, that is the best part, seeing their smiles,” said Michael Clayton, Summer Learning Quest Administrator at Keheley and assistant principal at Sanders Elementary School. 
Cobb’s Summer Learning Quest program, which wraps up this week, provided 4,000 students in rising K-8 an intensive targeted instructional experience focused on English and Language Arts and math standards while integrating science and social studies content and lessons. Teachers embedded brain booster activities throughout the day that featured music, art, physical education, plus science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The District also partnered with the Georgia Aquarium to provide in-house field trips for select grades.
To support Cobb’s summer learners and fuel student success, all students received free breakfast and lunch and could ride the bus to and from school. Rising K-5 students were eligible for the free After School Program (ASP).
In addition to the Books on the Bus, which was new this year, rising kindergarten students were included in this year’s Summer Learning Quest to support kindergarten readiness for the fall. Tutors were also added to support rising 8th and 9th grade students.
Cobb students were not the only ones who returned to the classroom to prepare for the upcoming school year. Their teachers attended professional learning events, like Cobb’s annual STEMapalooza to learn new tips on how to keep students engaged and boost student success through hands-on activities.
