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Summer School Programs

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Synergy online enrollment requests are open for Innovative Pathways High School and Summer Math Scholars Friday, March 15 at 6 p.m. through Friday, March 29 at 6:00 p.m. Please view the Enrollment section for directions on how to submit a request.

Synergy online enrollment requests for the BSAP and G/T programs will open Tuesday, April 2 at 6 p.m.

  • All programs meet in-person at a HCPSS school building; there are NO virtual options for Summer 2024.
  • Enrollment requests do not guarantee placement in summer programs.
  • Enrollment requests are NOT first-come, first-served.
  • Families will receive an email when a student is enrolled in a course or added to the applicable course waitlist.
    • For Innovative Pathways High School, enrollment priority will be given to students by their current grade level. Remaining students will be randomly selected and enrolled in their selected course (or alternate course) until that course has been filled.
    • For Summer Math Scholars, enrollment priority will be given to middle school students at the following schools: Harper’s Choice MS, Lake Elkhorn MS, Mayfield Woods MS, Murray Hill MS, Oakland Mills MS, Thomas Viaduct MS, and Wilde Lake MS. Students at other middle schools may be considered at a future date.

    Information about Academic Intervention (Grades K-8) and Extended School Year Special Education (Ages 3-5, PreK-12) programs will be shared directly with parents/guardians of HCPSS eligible students later this spring.

Summer Programs Summary Information

  BSAP Summer Institute
(Entering Grades K-9)
Gifted and Talented (G/T) Summer Institute
(Entering Grades 1-8)
Innovative Pathways High School
(Entering Grade 9, Current Grades 9-12)
STARTALK Chinese Language Summer Camp
(Entering Grades 5-8)
Summer Math Scholars Program
(Entering Grades 6-8)
Dates/Times
Dates are subject to change. No programs meet on Thursday, July 4.

June 24–July 19 (4 weeks)

9:00 a.m.–2:45 p.m.

July 8–July 19 (2 weeks)

8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

6 Week Classes (1.0 credit)

June 24–August 2

8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

3 Week Classes (0.5 credit Health 1, Health 2, or Lifetime Fitness only)

Session 1: June 24–July 12

Session 2: July 15–August 2

8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Mandatory orientation for all courses on the first class date: June 24 or July 15

June 24–July 12 (3 weeks)

8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

July 1–July 26 (4 weeks)

8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Locations
Locations are subject to change.

Cradlerock ES (Grades K-4)

Lake Elkhorn MS

(Grades 5-9)

Burleigh Manor MS

Atholton HS: Art, CTE, Health, Lifetime Fitness, Math, Science, and World Language Courses

Hammond HS: English, Social Studies, and GearUp for 9th Grade Courses

Homewood Center

Harper’s Choice MS

Cost
Financial Assistance is available for current HCPSS students. Visit www.hcpss.org/farms to submit a FARMs application.

$650

$320

$325 (0.5 credit course)

$650 (1.0 credit course)

$800 (2.0 credit course)

$50

No cost (families must have a household income up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines to qualify)

Transportation

Yes, community stops

Yes, community stops

Yes, limited to specific courses

No

Yes, community stops

Meals
Sites offer either a snack or breakfast/lunch at no cost.
Contact

SummerInstitute@hcpss.org

410-313-1598

GTSummer@hcpss.org

410-313-6671

IPSummer@hcpss.org

410-313-6627

STARTALK@hcpss.org

410-313-5663

MathScholars@hcpss.org

410-313-1574

Email messages will receive a faster response than calling the program phone numbers. Phone messages will be returned after reviewing voicemail messages within 24 hours during the school week.

Program Descriptions

BSAP Summer Institute (Entering Grades K-9)

This program offers acceleration and enrichment opportunities for HCPSS students entering grades K-9. On- and above-grade level instruction to prepare students for Kindergarten or their upcoming grade. Students participate in instructional-level academic courses (English/language arts, math, science, social studies) each morning, and a wide range of enrichment opportunities in the afternoon.

BSAP Course List

BSAP Course Matrix

BSAP Before & After Care – Cradlerock ES/Lake Elkhorn MS

Contact: SummerInstitute@hcpss.org or 410-313-1598

Gifted and Talented (G/T) Summer Institutes for Talent Development (Entering Grades 1-8)

This program offers additional advanced-level instruction and enrichment experiences not regularly available during the academic school year. Rigorous instruction focusing on talent development is offered in mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, technology and fine arts. Prior participation in the school-year G/T program is not required for enrollment.

GT Course List

GT Course Matrix

GT Before & After Care – Burleigh Manor MS

Contact: GTSummer@hcpss.org or 410-313-6671

Innovative Pathways High School
(Entering Grade 9, Current Grades 9-12)

This program offers high school credit-bearing courses in a variety of content areas and levels to support academic achievement and acceleration for diploma-bound students. All courses meet in-person at a HCPSS school building; there are NO virtual courses for Summer 2024.

Innovative Pathways HS Course List

Innovative Pathways HS Course Matrix

Innovative Pathways HS Enrollment Request FAQs

Contact: IPSummer@hcpss.org or 410-313-6627.

STARTALK Chinese Language Summer Camp (Entering Grades 5-8)

This program offers Chinese language proficiency development with a focus on speaking for novice level learners and the addition of reading and writing for intermediate level learners for HCPSS students entering Grades 5-8. The language instruction program will be complemented with a wide range of Chinese culture-themed activities such as arts and crafts, martial arts, virtual field trips, and games.

Contact: STARTALK@hcpss.org or 410-313-5663

Summer Math Scholars Program
(Entering Grades 6-8)

This program partners with the Howard County Office of the Local Children’s Board to provide math academic enrichment and social-emotional learning for middle school students at the following schools: Harper’s Choice MS, Lake Elkhorn MS, Mayfield Woods MS, Murray Hill MS, Oakland Mills MS, Thomas Viaduct MS, and Wilde Lake MS. Students at other middle schools may be considered at a future date. Eligible students are those with a C average in their current on-grade level math class and whose families have a household income up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.

Summer Math Scholars Program Flyer

Contact: MathScholars@hcpss.org or 410-313-1574

Enrollment Requests

Enrollment requests for registration-based programs can be made by a parent, guardian, school counselor or achievement liaison.

Directions: Register for Summer Programs

Please carefully review the program descriptions, dates, times and locations before submitting an enrollment request. Parents/guardians will be notified via email of enrollment status (enrolled or waitlisted) before the start of the next registration window. Registration in February and March is highly recommended, as program availability may be limited during the later registration dates.

Current HCPSS students

Synergy will accept enrollment requests from February through June starting the 15th of each month at 6 p.m. and will remain open for two weeks. For programs and courses that are not full, enrollment requests may be made each month through June.
  • All high school courses (including Health 1, Health 2, and Lifetime Fitness 9) will be open for enrollment on March 15, 2024.
  • Enrollment requests for Innovative Pathways High School credit recovery and Gear Up for Grade 9 courses may only be made by a school counselor beginning in April.

Enrollment lottery process

  • Enrollment requests do not guarantee placement in summer programs.
  • Enrollment requests are NOT first-come, first-served.
  • Families will receive an email when a student is enrolled in a course or added to the applicable course waitlist.
    • For Innovative Pathways High School, enrollment priority will be given to students by their current grade level. Remaining students will be randomly selected and enrolled in their selected course (or alternate course) until that course has been filled.
  • For Summer Math Scholars, enrollment priority will be given to middle school students at the following schools: Harper’s Choice MS, Lake Elkhorn MS, Mayfield Woods MS, Murray Hill MS, Oakland Mills MS, Thomas Viaduct MS, and Wilde Lake MS. Students at other middle schools may be considered at a future date.

Non-HCPSS students

Parents/guardians of current non-HCPSS students who wish to submit an enrollment request for the Innovative Pathways High School summer program should email IPSummer@hcpss.org to receive an alternate online enrollment link (please include Non-HCPSS enrollment in the subject line). Non-HCPSS students will be placed in courses after HCPSS students have been enrolled.
All enrollment requests are PENDING until HCPSS has completed program placement and full tuition is paid. Enrollment requests DO NOT guarantee placement in a program.

Payments and Financial Assistance

Payments

Payments for summer programs can ONLY BE MADE ONCE ENROLLMENT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY EMAIL. Parents/guardians will receive an email from MySchoolBucks with an invoice once the student has been enrolled in a program. Payments may be made by check, money order or credit card. Full payment of the program/course fee is due within 10 days of receiving the invoice. Failure to make payment will result in the removal of the enrollment.

Payments will be accepted in the following manner:

  • Online: Payments will be available to be made through MySchoolBucks (there is a 4% service fee for online payments)
  • Mail: Download the Registration Payment Form and return the completed form with a check or money order payable to Howard County Public School System to:
  • HCPSS
    Attn: Summer Programs
    10910 Clarksville Pike
    Ellicott City, MD 21042

Download PDF: Summer Programs Payment Instructions

NOTE: If an alternate form of payment is needed, please contact the program directly to review payment options. HCPSS cannot take in-person payment without an appointment.

Returned Checks

Checks returned by the bank due to insufficient funds will be assessed a charge. If payment is not received in full, the unpaid amount will become a debt and will be entered as an outstanding obligation at your child’s school. All obligations must be satisfied prior to graduation. The HCPSS Finance Office has contracted with Envision Payment Solutions, Inc. for the electronic collection of check payments. If the check is returned unpaid, Envision Payment Solutions, Inc. will assess a $35 fee allowed by Maryland state law and charged as an electronic fund transfer.

Financial Assistance

Financial Assistance is available for current HCPSS students. Please visit www.hcpss.org/farms to submit a Free and Reduced Price Meal services (FARMs) application.

Students receiving FARMs automatically receive a 50% tuition reduction upon verification.

Parents/guardians who do not qualify for FARMs but are experiencing a documented financial hardship, or who are unable to afford tuition after the automatic FARMs status-based discounts, may complete a Financial Assistance Application. Financial hardships include unemployment of a parent or guardian, pending foreclosure or eviction and medical hardship. The Financial Assistance Committee will review the completed applications and notify parents/guardians if additional tuition reduction will be applied.

Financial Assistance applications will be accepted in the following manner (please only submit ONE version):
  • Online: Complete the online form and email the required documentation to the student’s summer program
  • Mail: Download the application form and return the completed form and required documentation to: HCPSS
    Attn: Innovative Pathways
    10910 Clarksville Pike
    Ellicott City, MD 21042

Withdrawal

Withdrawal Requests

Prior to enrollment, a parent/guardian or school counselor may submit a registration withdrawal request online through the Synergy Parent Portal on the HCPSS Connect web page (https://www.hcpss.org/connect/). Instructions for requesting withdrawal are included in the Register for Summer Programs document.

Refund Requests

Refund requests will only be processed after a withdrawal request has been submitted online through HCPSS Connect prior to the refund deadline. Tuition paid by cash, check, or money order will be refunded in the form of a check mailed to the issuer once the Refund Form is processed. Refunds by check may take 4–6 weeks to process. Tuition paid by credit card will be refunded to the credit card in accordance with the credit card company’s refund procedure less the service charge.

  • BSAP Summer Institute and G/T Summer Institutes for Talent Development – Refund requests received after April 30, 2024, will be assessed a 25 percent administrative fee and those received after May 8, 2024, will be assessed a 50 percent administrative fee. Refunds will not be issued after May 15, 2024.
  • Innovative Pathways High School – Refund requests received by the close of business on June 28, 2024 will receive a full refund. Students withdrawing between June 29 – July 5, 2024 will receive a partial refund (the amount of payment less the greater of a 20% administrative fee or $50.00). Refunds will not be issued after July 5, 2024.

Transportation

Transportation for Summer Programs is limited and varies by program. Transportation is provided via community bus stops; door-to-door service is not provided. A community bus stop is a location where students in a geographic location will meet and a school bus will pick up and transport them to their summer program. Community bus stop locations are based on student enrollments. Parents/guardians will receive community bus stop information during the program orientation.
  • BSAP Summer Institute, G/T Summer Institutes for Talent Development and Summer Math Scholars Program – Transportation is provided by HCPSS via a community bus stop.
  • Innovative Pathways High School programs – Transportation is provided by HCPSS via a community bus stop and is limited to students:
    • Enrolled in the Gear Up for 9th Grade program at Hammond HS
    • Enrolled in a credit recovery course
    • Graduating during the High School summer program in August 2024
For all other students, transportation is NOT provided and will be the responsibility of the student and their parent(s)/guardian(s). Students must be dropped off and picked up on time. Alternate transportation may be found through Howard County Transit at transitrta.com.