SIMI SCHOOL'S OLYMPIC SUMMER : GAMES' EVENTS INFLUENCE CLASS WORK.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

Ask Valerie Schultz what she likes most about the Olympic Games theme at Garden Grove Elementary School's summer school program, and the youngster does a little hip-swinging dance.

``It's good,'' the 9-year-old said during Thursday's Simi Valley Kiwanis Club-sponsored opening ceremony for the program. The ceremony replicated a real Olympic Games opening and included a performance of West African dance and music.

That pretty much said what she enjoys best and looked forward to the most about this year's summer program, which actually started July 9 - the chance to dance as part of the summer program's art curriculum.

It's also an indication that Garden Grove's summer program will include a full complement of academics and arts subjects. All of it will revolve around the Olympics, be it history, social studies, arts or physical education, according to Principal Dennis Hatland.

``We still are doing the core curriculum - the math and reading, in helping, for example, the children who failed proficiency tests,'' Hatland said.

A different theme is picked for summer school each year, with past themes involving cultural awareness and the environment.

In keeping with the international nature of the Olympics, this year each class picked a nation to study through the summer, Hatland said.

It's all intended to hook the youngsters' interest, he said. ``We try to make summer school enjoyable yet motivating for the students,'' he said.

About 375 youngsters are enrolled in Garden Grove's summer program this year, according to Hatland. Less than half - about 150 - are in regular classes. The rest have special needs of one kind or another, ranging from learning to physical disabilities.

The special-education youngsters are integrated with the others for much of the day, said teacher John Gilletly.

He's found some novel ways to integrate the Olympics into his physical education lessons.

Earlier this week, for example, he had his pupils practice the shot put, then asked them to measure their throws - in metrics, a system that was new to the youngsters. This way, they got a shot of math out of it.

``The new philosophy is that kids learn math and science and language if it's tied to other things,'' Gilletly said. ``Integration of curriculum is the buzzword people are using now.''

Teacher Jeanne Davis said she is incorporating the Olympics into her social studies and arts lessons. Her pupils are designing Olympics-related rings, stamps and T-shirts.

``It's sparked a lot of interest for them. Now they understand the history (of the Olympics), what the rings mean,'' Davis said. ``Anytime they learn something and hear it in the real world, it sparks their interest, they listen better - `Oh, I know about that.' ''

These lessons suit 9-year-old Monique Gamez just fine and help spark her creativity.

``We get to design our own things the way we want to,'' she said. ``I make them the way I want.''

Tom Vide, 10, said he has already learned something about Spain, the nation his class picked to study.

He likes the way Olympic events such as sprinting and the javelin and hammer throws - his favorites - are integrated into his lessons.

``I like the physical activities, and I like to read, too,'' he said.

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Photo

Photo: (color) Ashley Tindall, 13, adjusts one of the natio nal flags around the playground at Garden Grove Elementary School during its Olympic festival.

Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News