Aug. 4, 2025- The Extended School Year (ESY) program being hosted at West Dover Elementary School has been quite busy to say the least. Last week was a prime example of the activity that's been taking place all summer, as it "was full of energy, creativity, and community spirit," according to district behavior analyst Sarah Strazzella.

In fact, it was a record breaker. Through the program, students can earn PBSIS tickets by demonstrating positive behaviors such as following directions, being kind to others, and showing school-wide expectations. Last week alone generated an incredible 1,013 PBSIS tickets, breaking the prior week's record.

"Our amazing staff plays a huge role in keeping the momentum going and enthusiastically using the ticket system to reinforce positive behavior," said Strazzella.

ESY staff were also integral in putting on (and dressing up for) a signature summer event— a luau.

For this themed day, everyone was encouraged to wear their best Hawaiian gear. Students and staff danced, tried to do the wave, played “keepy uppy” with beach balls, and had a blast. Raffle tickets were handed out for chances to win prizes that were donated by the program's generous local community sponsors.

The Think Outside the Box Challenge hosted last week had high participation and produced some truly creative designs. Students and staff were given drawing prompts with somewhat obvious shapes and asked to, well ... think outside the box when expanding on that shape. Many of the designs wowed the whole program.

The winners of the Think Outside the Box challenge and all of the other activities which took place last week and which have been hosted throughout the program were able to take home some amazing prizes thanks to ESY's sponsors. Those include Mister Softee, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, MJ’s Restaurant, Liberty Science Center, ClimbZone, Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach, B2 Bistro, Turning Point, and Applebee’s. This week's activities are supported by El Familiar, BJ's Wholesale Club, Little Gym, Nicolas Creamery, Colonial Bakery, and East Coast Escape Room.

We are beyond thankful for our sponsors," said Strazzella, "and we simply wouldn't be able to do all of the amazing things we're doing without them."

Today kicks of what promises to be another amazing week at West Dover ESY—where, according to Strazzella, "every day brings learning, laughter, and celebration!"

Additional photos from last week's activities are below.