ASHEBORO, N.C. — This summer marks the second time that Asheboro City Schools held its summer bridge camp.

This camp helps students with any lingering effects from the pandemic, such as academic, social and emotional learning. It also helps students get to know their new school and helps them with the transition.

The days are filled with learning a new subject. This week it was forensics, and the students were tasked with solving a murder through a series of worksheets. In addition, they do something around the building to help them get to know Asheboro High School.

While on a scavenger hunt around the building, rising freshman Gloria Sebastian said if she didn’t do this she would be lost on the first day of school. 

This camp has helped students like Sebastian feel more confident when it comes to school after the pandemic set many kids back.

Results from the Northwest Evaluation Association, a nonprofit that measures growth and proficiency in grades K through 12, shows this fall’s freshman class needs just over four months of extra time to catch up to pre-pandemic levels in math and reading.

“When I was doing online school, it was terrible because I didn’t do any of my work,” Sebastian said. “When we started going in-person again, my grades started getting up, and it was just an overall better experience in person than it was online.”

Sebastian says working in small groups allows them to really focus on their reading and math skills, but her favorite part is working together.

“It’s just a really great experience just meeting new people. Especially since there’s new people coming into the school, because there’s two schools merging into one. So, it’s a good experience for me to make friends with the other school and not just stay with people I know,” she said.