This year, summer school begins on June 8 with all classes at NC. There are two summer semesters: one from June 8 to June 26 and the other from June 29 to July 17. Classes meet from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. every day. 

“The main goals are to provide students with opportunities for academic acceleration, skill reinforcement to prevent the summer slide, and credit recovery,” Summer Programs Director Adam Davis said. “Summer School helps students stay on track and prepares them for the upcoming school year. Another important part, specifically for incoming freshmen, is to familiarize themselves with the campus and to meet new peers prior to their high school careers beginning in August.”

Freshman Isla MacNeil took ceramics going into her freshman year. 

“[Summer school] was helpful because I met new people who I became friends with, and it helped me learn the way of the school and how there are different wings at SC,” Macneil said. 

Summer School has offerings across all academic departments, including Biology, Ceramics, Chemistry, Consumer Economics, Culinary Arts, Digital Photo Art, Drawing and Painting, Driver Education, Extended School Year, Geometry, Physics, Radio, TV, Theatre, Trig/Pre-Calc, and World History, Davis said. There are two new programs this summer, a summer bridge course and Cultural Connections/Academia Cultural. History teacher Zuleyma Gonzalez will be teaching the Cultural Connections class. 

“This class is designed to strengthen students’ communication skills through real-world cultural experiences, not just traditional lessons,” Gonzalez said. “Students will take part in discussions, cultural projects, community experiences, academic field trips, and real-life language practice.”

The Cultural Connections class will be interactive and experimental, Gonzalez said. There will be classroom learning activities, as well as activities outside of class. 

“I will also center student agency as I plan the course,” Gonzalez said. “For example, one student who recently signed up shared his interest in architecture, so I will allocate a lesson about architecture, and I will be in contact with the Chicago Architecture Center to plan a possible field trip.”

For summer school, junior and senior courses are typically offered at NC, while freshman and sophomore classes are at SC. Due to construction projects scheduled at NC this summer, 2026 summer school will run fully at SC. Furthermore, the number of kids and teachers in the summer school program for 2026 has yet to be determined. However, last year there were 854 student participants in summer school and 35 teachers, Davis said. The number of teachers involved in summer school is determined by statements of interest submitted. Numbers vary year to year. Teachers work to teach classes to meet the outcomes of the designed curriculum. 

“The class will meet the essential outcomes of the designed curriculum during summer school because students are focusing on just one class for a little over four and a half hours per day,” Davis said. “During the school year, you are meeting for [a class] for 48 minutes per day or 240 minutes per week. In summer school, you are meeting for [that class] for 274 minutes per day.”