Madera Unified School District offers winter sessions to students

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A North Valley school district is providing students with learning opportunities this winter break, rain or shine. For the first time, Madera Unified is offering a winter intersession.

It may still be winter break, but for over 600 students in Madera Unified, school is in session.

"It beats the alternative to staying home by themselves or without their social interactions," said Madera Unified Expanded Learning Program Coordinator Suzanne Dudney. "This is what we're focusing on, giving them the opportunity to work with their peers and have fun."

This week, the district is offering hands on learning opportunities to students, ranging from robotics to physical education.

"Alter the pandemic, the students were home a lot and isolated a lot so it gives them that chance to come in and interact with other students and other adults," said Dudney.

While the sessions are for students TK-8th, the district is offering paid teaching assistance opportunities for high schoolers.

"If it wasn't for this I'd be at home sleeping, doing nothing and probably bored and now I'm here with students and having fun with them," said Teachers Aid Ana Hernandez.

For these high school students it serves as valuable work experience.

"This is my first job so I wanted to get that work experience," added teachers aid Kou Gallegos. "We filled out our time sheet, we learned how to do that and mileage sheets and everything."

In its first year, the district saw an overwhelming demand, with sessions and and their waitlists filling up. The district will offer larger learning sessions this summer.