Alex Marchioni earned a C-plus in Algebra II last spring. That was good enough to pass the class, but she needed at least a B-minus to move on to pre-calculus.

So instead of sleeping in, Marchioni is spending many of her summer mornings reviewing roots, powers, radicals and other concepts as she repeats the algebra course in summer school.

The individual attention she’s receiving from her teacher in a classroom of only seven students is paying off.

“I’m doing good,” said Marchioni, who will be a Salem High School senior this fall. “My tests have been in the high 80s and in the 90s.” The Salem School District’s summer program annually draws students of different ages and reasons for being there.

In addition to math, courses being offered to high school students include English, Spanish, social studies and science courses.

Students can take classes to make up for a course they failed, meet an upper-level course prerequisite, make up for a failed course, earn credit for a half-credit class or attain a better understanding of a subject matter before advancing to a higher-level course.

Math teacher Christine Jefferson said her students work independently and at their own pace, but they cover all the content as they would in a regular classroom.

“There are no cutting corners in my class,” said Jefferson, who helps students by clearing up misconceptions they have with material, making math easier for them. “(The material) is nothing new to them. There are no shocks.”

Like Marchioni, junior Mike Esposito, 16, is repeating a class in hopes of achieving a better grade. He earned a D-plus in Spanish I and needs at least a C so he can enroll in Spanish II.

“I had to come back here to boost it up,” said Esposito, whose class meets for two-and-a-half hours over 27 days.

Studying material he’s seen before and the small size of his class – he’s one of only five students – works in his favor. The teacher, he said, can recognize where students are weak in the subject.

The importance of attendance is highly stressed during the program. A student is not allowed to be absent more than twice if the course is being taken for grade improvement or credit.

Middle school students can take classes in math, language arts, social studies and science. Those classes meet one hour every day over five weeks. Most students are taking a class in order to be promoted to the next grade.

Elementary school students can sharpen their skills in classes that meet one hour three days a week over five weeks. Classes are being offered in reading and math. Parents were encouraged to find out from their child’s teacher what skills they should improve on.

The summer program also offers keyboarding to students completing grades 4 through 8, and art to kids completing grades 1 through 8.

There are also three-day mini courses for elementary school students: “Fun with Science,” “Galloping Gourmets,” and “Budding Biologists.”

In the science course, students made several experiments, including building their own miniature volcanoes. The volcanoes were made of paper mache and were painted. By using a few simple ingredients, youngsters caused their volcanoes to “erupt.”

Amber DaRosa, 10, served as the class assistant for her mother, Amy, who taught the class. She’ll help her mother again in the cooking class. “You get to make the stuff, and then you eat it,” said Amber.

One of the summer program’s popular offerings is its three-week long musical theater workshop.

Nearly 50 children are involved in this year’s production of “Peter Pan.” Most will be on stage. A small number are doing technical work. Young performers rehearse two-and-a-half hours a day, five days a week leading up to the show. Tryouts for parts were held the first day, and roles were assigned the following day.

The workshop, for students completing grades 1 through 8, requires that participants can read a script and follow stage direction.

“They have a beautiful, elaborate production,” said summer school director Michael Courtois. “It amazes me every year.”

According to director Kathleen Dacey, the workshop allows students to improve memory skills, get a feel for being on stage, learn theatrical terms, work on their musical ability, and develop teamwork.

“I’m happy with it because it’s the best that this group can do in three weeks,” said Dacey. “You see so much growth in these kids. It’s absolutely amazing.”

The show will be presented to the public at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 24, in Salem High School’s Seifert Auditorium. Admission is $1.