With summer winding down, there are only a few more days until students are back in the classroom.

Horizon School Divisions Director of Education says it's critical to get the students hyped up to come back.

"What we've been doing over the summer is we've been engaged with our students and families and through our schools of course and it stems from our work through learning improvement planning and talking to principles and staff about what they're doing in preparation for our students. We've done a significant amount of work over the summer to try and eliminate the summer reading slide that we know happens with our students."

It's quite the busy time of year for the staff, as Garinger explains.

"In Horizon School Division we focus on a need space model. What are the needs around staffing and around supporting the needs of our children around different levels around resources? Those kinds of things."

He goes a little deeper into the preparation process.

"We just finished a meeting with all of the principles and vice principles and senior leadership staff to talk about the year and to really make sure everybody is on the same page as we begin to focus on our three major goals that our board of education has."

The board had their first meeting of the year on Wednesday, while the teachers have their first day back to work on Friday.