SANDPOINT — Handmade art projects, decorated coloring pages, and lots of smiles are expected at Farmin Stidwell Elementary School's Extended School Year program. 

But it's not an ordinary summer school. The three-week program is tailored toward students who have learning disabilities to continue their routine and education beyond the end of the school year. 

Whether children are cutting paper to build fine motor skills or requesting what snack they want to practice communication, the program is designed to support each student’s individualized education plan goal. 

“They need the consistency from what they had during the school year,” said Danette Boyle, head of the ESY program. 

The program is divided into two groups. The life skills group serves students from preschool through sixth grade who are enrolled at Farmin Stidwell Elementary. The resource group serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade from schools throughout the Lake Pend Oreille School District. 

Boyle, who is also a services for exceptional children teacher at Farmin Stidwell, has been with the ESY program since 2019. She said she enjoys how it allows her to interact with students she doesn't teach during the school year. 

“It's just a lot of fun to get to build those relationships with all the kids in the school,” said Boyle. 

During the school year, teachers and parents meet to discuss each student's individualized education goals. If children are emerging in a skill, parents are offered the choice to have services continued through summer school. 

“If the parents agree with that, then we start building our class roster of all the students that we get,” said Boyle. 

Children also work with paraprofessionals, individuals who are qualified to work with students after receiving their teaching certification. 

“This is a wonderful opportunity for them to also work with students,” said Boyle, adding that it gives them "a taste of what it feels like to have their own classroom” for paraprofessionals wanting to pursue teaching. 

Although the program is not as rigorous as a regular school day, it is still intentional. 

“We do make it fun, because it is summer,” said Boyle. 

Craft time, recess, and everything in between are part of a structured daily schedule students follow that teach life skills, including handwashing. 

Students line up at the sink, and teachers guide them through each step, from washing and drying their hands to throwing used paper towels away. 

“Those are intentional skills and life skills,” said Boyle, “Nobody thinks that washing hands is a critical life skill, but it is.” 

“Everyone should have the best education possible,” said Kyla French, Farmin Stidwell teacher. 

French teaches general education kindergarten during the school year and joined the ESY program in 2021. She said the program gives her an opportunity to do something different during the summer. 

French was a member of the pilot team for the new curriculum purchased for LPOSD. After teaching the new curriculum to general education students and seeing how they engaged with the material, she was interested to see if the life skills students would be just as curious. 

“Turns out, they were,” said French. “It’s been really cool to see this in action.”

For Boyle, the most rewarding part of the program is seeing the students’ progress. 

“It's fun to see how much they grow, even from three weeks,” she said.

    A student colors during the Extended School Year program at Farmin Stidwell Elementary School.
  

    Danette Boyle, head of the Extended School Year program at Farmin Stidwell Elementary School, sits with students during snack time.
  

    A student washes his hands during the Extended School Year program at Farmin Stidwell Elementary School.