Rochester Community Schools students have been sharpening math skills, writing college essays, and building video games in classrooms all summer, part of a district-run learning program that spans elementary through high school.

The goal: smooth the transition before the first day of school on Monday, August 24.

The district framed the sessions as a back-to-school bridge in a July 28 post on X, sharing a photo of a student writing at a desk. The programming has been running since at least late June, with posts from the official @rochcommschools account documenting activities across grade levels throughout the summer.

Elementary: STEAM and literacy camp

First graders and incoming third graders have participated in a STEAM and Lit camp integrating math, reading, writing, and science. In one session, third graders practiced a "dive-in-and-double" math strategy, solving problems multiple ways while sitting cross-legged on a classroom carpet with individual whiteboards, according to a district post from Tuesday, July 14.

The district also posted about first graders covering science, technology, art, literacy, and math during the camp.

Middle school: collaborative math

Middle schoolers have used the sessions to brush up on math fundamentals. The district posted Monday, July 27 that math teams were collaborating to solve problems together, with a photo showing two boys working at a desk with pencils and a laptop open. Earlier sessions covered multiplying and dividing fractions.

High school: college prep

For college-bound students, the summer sessions offer individualized support polishing applications and essays. The district posted about that component on Tuesday, July 7, showing a teacher and student working side-by-side at a table with laptops.

A separate STEM track has students coding their own games and using 3D printing pens to design inventions, according to district posts from late June.

What families need to know

The Summer Learning Program is listed in the district's Summer 2026 Enrichment Brochure as a distinct offering administered by the RCS Enrichment Department. The district has not publicly released enrollment figures for the summer sessions. Families seeking information can contact the Enrichment Department at (248) 726-3165.

Sessions are winding down. Teachers return Tuesday, August 18, and all students start Monday, August 24, a half day.