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www.summercore.com/prep

a Web page for schools hosting Summercore
from Steve Bergen (781-953-9699) and Lynne Schalman
e-mail:

Topic 1 ... the Summercore application
it is posted on line at the top of the Summercore Web page, but I can easily reduce its length and make it into a 2 page or 3 page Microsoft Word document for you if that is desirable (Steve) ... it is important that we set a date such as April 15 or May 1 or May 15 and we need to make sure it is completed by all participating teachers by then
Topic 2 ... hotels and flights
We prefer to make our own reservations at whatever hotel you recommend that is close to your school
Topic 3 ... room setup
It is probably best to discuss on the phone. Ideally, there is one room with a projector and soft chairs where we can twice a day present to the full group. Hopefully this room has a whiteboard, blackboard or smartboard

Since we split into JV and Varsity, there needs to be a second room with a projector. Some teachers like using laptops during the presentations which is fine for us. If each of the two rooms has hands-on, that is ideal.

Of course, we want to avoid stress and not cause the school a hassle, which is why talking on the phone makes most sense.
Topic 4 ... software and Internet considerations (we don't want any of these requests to cause you a hassle, but here they are)
- Will the workshop be Mac, PC, or both?
- What operating system is used for Mac? PC?
- What version of MS Office?
- If you use Macs, do you use iWorks?
- Could you please be sure to install Google Earth on all machines.
- If you are a PC school, could you please install Photo Story 3 from here
- What e-mail system do you use?
- If you use filters, could you please be sure that youtube, delicious, zamzar, vixy.net, edublogs.org, wikispaces.com, pbwiki, flickr, jumpcut.com, bubbleshare.com. bubbleply.com, blabberize.com, bloglines, and picnik.com are not blocked.
- Is either Photoshop or Photoshop Elements installed?
- Do you have Smartboards?
- If so, is the current Smartboard notebook software installed?
- Will teachers be bringing their own laptops?
- Do you use Inspiration? If not, could you please install the trial version from www.inspiration.com which lasts 30 days (make sure you install within a few weeks of Summercore so it does not expire during Summercore)
Topic 5 ... picking the 35 hours
- Some schools choose 8-4
- Some schools pick 8-4:33 Monday-Thursday and 8:00-12:33 on Friday
- Some schools pick 9-6 Mon, Tues, Thurs ... 9-5 on Wed ... 9-12:33 on Friday
- Some schools pick 9-6 Mon-Thurs ... 9:00-12:33 on Fri
- Some schools pick Mon to Thurs: 8AM - 5PM ... Friday: 8AM to 12:33PM
- Some schools pick 8:30--5:00 Monday-Thursday ... 8:30-1:30 on Friday
- It is virtually impossible to have a 30 minute break for lunch ... in theory it works, but in practice it never does ... even though Yogi Berra never attended Summercore, he once said " In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is."
Topic 6 ... food and snacks
Because it is a marathon, we want Summercore people to be well nourished with liquid (hot and cold) and the opportunity to take a break. We try to take a 5-10 minute break every hour. Specifics? coffee, water, snacks, lunches, fruit, healthy alternatives and not just junk
Topic 7 ... interns
If you can identify two students and give me (Steve) their names, e-mails and phone numbers, I will take it from there. We will pay them and make specific arrangements, keeping you in the loop of course. Over the years, we have found it be a very powerful part of Summercore for the participating school.
- yes, interns get paid by The Summercore Teaching Company usually above $200 (possibly $250-$300) for the week based on hours and age of
- yes, some tech know-how is involved, but this is more of a "people job" than a tech job ... whatever the students currently know re Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel, the Web, HTML is fine ... obviously being "tech-savvy" is useful, but people skills tend to be more important than tech skills
- we will teach the students various skills during the week so that they will end up learning about computers by the end of the week in addition to helping us out as summercore interns
- we have been doing this program for over 20 years and have been hiring interns for over 10 years ... students always find the work easier than anticipated, not at all stressful and almost always very rewarding
- we like to meet the interns for 2 hours on Sunday ... hours during the week tend to match the session, except we generally do not need need the interns for the first 90 minutes of some days and generally not at all on Friday
- Procedure? Get me the names, e-mail addresses, home phones of 2 students (hopefully male and female if coed school) ... I will then e-mail them, call them and make arrangements for hours including Sunday contact if possible ... Steve
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Quotes About Interns from Summercore Participants Over the Years

"they are/were fantastic and patient w/their former teachers" 
"working with the students was great for me....we used the regularly in our programs" 
"They were wonderful" 
"absolutely fabulous and great fun!" 
"Brilliant! The interns made everything go that much more smoothly" 
"They were efficient, had charm, and illustrated a real sense of COMMUNICATION, which is what our purpose is all about." 
"Great, Unusual kids (aren't they all?) Having a sixth grader who is so literate and delightful kept us focused and honest." 
"Thought that they were great...Depended on them constantly...their spirit was welcomed" 
"They were fabulous and helped reduce my fear of technology." 
"they were GREAT...i wish i had an opportunity like them to learn about technology at such a young age." 
"they were great" 
"They were so knowledgable, helpful, and friendly." 
"again an excellent way to provide support" 
"precious" 
"the best!!They never complained and always met us with a smile" 
"They were great"
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