USD 265 Goddard Public Schools -

What an incredible Big Cat Summer Retreat for Goddard Public Schools students! Goddard Public Schools recently wrapped up two weeks filled with adventure, teamwork, and unforgettable memories for the 5th - 7th grade “Big Cat” students! This flexible, summertime program allows students to customize their experience, expanding possibilities for summer learning in exciting new ways. 

From conquering the course called, “Circuitry Shenanigans” and whipping up new dishes in “Chef’s Playground,” to taking the stage in “It’s PLAY Time - Reader’s Theater Melodrama,” students truly embraced diverse learning opportunities! Other fantastic sessions included: “Building with Science,” “Crochet for Beginners,” and “Video Gaming Through the Decades” to name a few. 

As high school science teacher Abbie Griffith shared, “Big Cat Summer Retreat gives me the opportunity to take something I love, like building circuits, and be able to share and teach it with students…it is exciting getting to share more about circuits with students, and also get the opportunity to work with students I wouldn’t normally get a chance to teach. Circuitry building isn’t a part of the curriculum I teach during the school year. Big Cat Summer Retreat is a place I get to share and teach a portion of science I really love.”

Summer learning provides a unique space for creativity to flourish and learning to take root without the added pressures of the school year. Thank you to all the Big Cat Summer Retreat teachers for creating such innovative and exciting courses for our Big Cat learners. Your dedication made this summer truly special!