NB wishes you and your family a wonderful summer break from the routine. Although summer is an opportunity for students to relax and regroup, we encourage students to keep essential skills sharpened.

Summer assignments for selected Advanced Placement & Honors courses can be accessed HERE. These assignments are not optional and are expected to be completed by the first week of school.

Students who are not enrolled in Honors or Advanced Placement are encouraged to sharpen their skills in English through summer reading. Research shows that summer reading helps prevent the loss of learning; therefore, NB supports recreational reading over the summer where students choose books they want to read. The more books read this summer, the more likely students will be prepared for the rich, literary conversations that await them in ELA.

For math, Northern students are encouraged to find mathematics in their everyday activities this summer and keep it fun. Here are just a few examples of suggested activities:

• Bring math to the kitchen. Following recipes reinforce foundational topics in mathematics in a purposeful manner.

• Play math based games. Board games and some video games are a fun way to increase problem solving skills and foster opportunities to strategize.

• Listen or play music. Musical patterns are structured mathematically and can provide context for fractions and ratios.

• Explore science centers and museums. Many museums provide real life models of mathematical phenomena.

• Analyze sports statistics. Watching sports and understanding the statistics fosters an ability to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

• Build something or perform experiments. Precise measurements are critical to a DIY project and allow students to use appropriate tools strategically.

• Start a business. Lemonade stands allow students to make change and build on fact fluency in a meaningful way.

• Practice math skills with fun math websites. Here are just a few suggestions:

  • https://www.coolmath.com

  • http://www.math.com

  • https://www.youcubed.org

  • https://www.ixl.com/math

  • https://www.freckle.com

  • https://www.khanacademy.org

While students can complete these assignments on their own, doing it with parents and other family members can make it a more meaningful process. These are not formal assignments and nothing needs to be submitted to teachers when school resumes in September.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Leslie Puente-Ervin at lpuente-ervin@nburlington.com with questions regarding ELA, and Mrs. Deborah Droke at ddroke@nburlington.com with questions pertaining to mathematics.