While the majority of Edmonton students are still enjoying their summer holidays, hundreds of kids returned to class at St. Catherine School Monday.
Last year, Edmonton Catholic Schools surveyed staff and parents at several locations on the topic of year-round schooling. Nearly three quarters of respondents voiced their support to have St. Catherine, a kindergarten to Grade 9 school, participate in the program.
The program means summer break is shortened to five weeks, and includes a two week break in October and an extra week added to spring break.
Even though their summer holidays have been cut short, many students are coming back to class with a good attitude.
"You want to see your friends, so you're excited to go to school," said Grade 7 student Renz Merindo.
And for a school that has more than half the students learning English as a second language, teachers expect their pupils will benefit from going to class year-round.
"We are really working hard to help them learn English and we felt that with having two months off it was quite a long time where they weren't practicing what we'd been teaching throughout the year," said Grade 4 teacher Brenda Coulombe.
Year-round classes at this school remains a pilot project that will continue for the next three years. At that time, board officials will review it before deciding whether to make it permanent and perhaps even expand year-round schooling to other schools.
With files from Laura Tupper
