SPECIAL EVENTS

New Student Orientation: The orientation extravaganza was held on Saturday, May 21 in Fawcett Hall. Over 30 students and their families attended this annual pre-Summerbridge Dayton event. At this time, parents and students were able to meet the 2007 staff. Students were also given an opportunity to select their academic and elective classes for the summer program. To assist in making these decisions, families were given an Orientation Booklet which provided a brief course description and summer schedule.

Staff Orientation: Staff training began on Monday, June 11. As part of training, staff members were given an opportunity to get to know one another by using team-building exercises. A 40 Development Assets presentation was given by Beverly Odon and Sue Koverman of United Way. This presentation is particularly helpful in ensuring that all students are reached in the best manner possible. Another excellent presentation of diversity was offered by Jim White of Performance Consultants of Columbus.

Dr. Percy Mack, Superintendent of Dayton Public Schools, also joined the staff to express his gratitude to the future teachers. He encouraged the staff to work hard and to continue being enthusiastic in wanting to make a difference with today’s youth.

In an effort to help students become a part of the fund-raising efforts for Summerbridge Dayton, cups were donated by Red Robin and students were asked to collect loose change. When all was said and done, students and staff collected approximately $300. Funds were used to help defray field trip costs and to purchase games used by the students during afternoon Club Time.

Spirit Week:  During the first week, students got together in clubs to participate in activities which included Hat Day, Club Day, College Day, and Wacky Tacky Day. This year, club names included Silver Change, the O.C., Emerald City, Red Hot Blazers and Purple Reign. On Friday, students toured the Schuster Center and the historical Victoria Theater. Students also participated in a History of Dayton scavenger hunt. That afternoon students showed off their club spirit with chants, claps, dances, and skits as well as the infamous Summerbridge Dayton clap. One non-Summerbridge Dayton judge was drafted to help make the final decision on which club would win the coveted Spirit Stick. Students also took a tour of Fifth Third field (home of the dayton Dragons minor league baseball team) and watched the dragons play a winning ball game. On Monday, Purple Reign was awarded the Spirit Stick. Tours were made available through a partnership with DPL Foundation.

Olympics Day: This event took place on Friday, June 29. Students participated in unusual games (relay races, finding gum in a pate of flour, and water balloon toss to name a few) where no previous athletic experience was necessary. Olympics Day is always a good way to give students a break from their rigorous studies.

Culture Day: This year's Culture Day (July 13) activity included a wonderful presentation from Wright State's Hazel Rountree, poetry readings and student essays.

Parent/Teacher Conferences: On July 15, Summerbridge Dayton held its annual parent/teacher conferences in the Millett Hall atrium. Each family of teachers (Alpha, Beta, and Gamma) was available to meet parents and discuss their child's progress in the program. Approximately 25 families attended this event. Refreshments were provided by Beavercreek Meijer.

Career Fair: In an effort to expose Summerbridge Dayton students to as many opportunities as possible, a career fair was held for the third year. This year’s fair was held on Friday, July 20. In preparation, language arts staff assisted students in preparing resumes. Students were given lessons on how to prepare a good resume and what prospective employers wanted to see. Each student had several copies of their resume on the day of the Career Fair. In attendance this year were the widow and daughter fo the late Cornelius Martin (for whom the Summerbridge scholarship was endowed and named).

Students were also taught how to fill out a job application, how to dress properly for an interview, and how to prepare for the interview experience. On the day of the Career Fair, students arrived on campus in business suits with resumes in hand. Approximately 15 organizations were set up in the Millett Hall Atrium. The representatives had been given instructions to hold mock interviews with the students, review their resumes and attire, and then let them know if they would hire them or not based on the brief meeting. Students were very pleased with this venue and felt the Career Fair was very helpful. The organizations were also excited to help the students understand how important it was to be adequately prepared for the job search process. It is hoped that we can continue to improve and expand our career fair to provide more opportunities for students to be exposed to businesses, organizations, and colleges

Graduation Celebration: The end of the summer came quickly. The program’s grand finale was organized by the language arts teachers with much assistance from all staff members. Our Graduation Celebration took place in the Student Union’s Multipurpose Room and was set up “dinner theatre” style. Over 150 people were able to sit together at tables and enjoy a wonderful meal catered by Mr. Hyman's Fine Dining.

Students elected a new SBD president and vice president -- Ciera davis and Sharon Reynolds respectively. The program proceeded with a skit from the Royal Summerbridge Theatre's presentation of "Oh My Word".

For the third year, the Dayton Breakfast Kiwanis provided a state-of-the-art computer and printer to an outstanding SBD student. This year's recipient was Monica Buress.