When a student gets out of school for the summer, the last thing on his mind is sitting in a library working on a project when there are so many other things he wants to do. However, between AP summer assignments and the summer reading project, most high schoolers have to do some homework over the break.

The summer reading assignment is a district-wide project for grades five through twelve. The choices of projects range depending on what grade one is going into and what type of book he chooses: fiction or nonfiction. The grade one receives on this project is one of the first major grades he receives in his English class for the school year.

If a student passes all three Keystones and is in a non-honors English class, he is rewarded with a free pass on his summer reading project. If one is an honors English student, the free pass lets the student read one book instead of the assigned two. If one is an AP Literature or AP Language and Composition student, he cannot use the free pass for the summer reading project as AP students have an entirely different project.

“I think the summer reading project is hard to understand; why do students have to do a project during the summer?” senior Samantha Moyer said. “The free pass idea is good, but I think they should let all seniors have a free pass instead of giving the kids who passed all the Keystones. I did not get a free pass, though.”

The summer reading project requires students to read one book and complete one project.

“I’m taking English 10, and I think the summer reading project is unnecessary,” sophomore Bethany Huffman said. “Summer should be a time to ourselves and to give our brains a break for once without having to stress about our grades.”

As the lead teacher of the English department, Mrs. Amy Babcock was in charge of making the free pass a reality. One of the reasons why this change was implemented was to encourage students to try harder on the Keystone tests.

“I’m taking English 9, and I think that the summer reading project is wonderful,” freshman Peyton Renninger said. “It is something to keep your mind going during the summer.”

Freshmen were not eligible to receive the free pass because they have not yet taken all three Keystone exams.

Students who have passed their Keystone exams already have the free pass. The students have the option to use it in the current school year, or they can use it in an upcoming school year.

“I think the summer reading project is a good idea; it makes sure we don’t completely forget we learned over the summer,” junior Katelyn Kunkleman said. “I like the free pass idea because it is always fun to be rewarded when we do good on something. Although I didn’t get a free pass, I would probably use it during my senior year if I would ever get one.”

The free pass gives students less work to do during the summer, and it provides an incentive to try harder on exams that help them graduate. This change was made to encourage students to do well on the exams, giving students a reward instead of a punishment.

“The summer reading project is always a challenge,” Mrs. Babcock said. “But I hope students are finding it less of a problem.”