09/01/09: BACK TO SCHOOL: Niagara Catholic HS Preps for Four-Day School Weeks

Original YNN Buffalo Air Date: 09/01/09
A Niagara County private school is testing out a new idea to maximize a student’s education. The school is switching to a shortened school week. Starting September ninth, students heading back to the school will spend four days a week in the classroom with no school on Mondays.
“It’ll give us good opportunities to get internships and community service hours that we need,” said senior Jolene Lameert.
The new calendar extends the school day an additional hour Tuesday through Fridays.
“I really don’t mind staying here an extra hour during the day if it means another day off during the week,” said senior Alexandra House.
“We actually end up with about 15 hours more which is about two days worth more teaching time under the old system,” explained Elissa Brisolari Niagara Catholic’s English Chair.
School administrators are working with area businesses to give students service-learning opportunities beyond the classroom.
“I’m excited to have the extra day off. Because I’m taking a lot of challenging Niagara University courses this year,” added House.
Niagara Catholic HS administrators say they want their students to use their day off as a day on. School officials set up a series of semester long classes right here with Niagara University. They say the idea is to get students ready for life after high school. While giving them the tools they need to succeed today.
“It’s sort of a high school and college readiness program. How to get along in college. How to succeed in college. How to takes notes better and so forth,” said Niagara Catholic High School Principal Robert DiFrancesco. The two-year partnership with Niagara University will also aide a study to see if and how the high school’s 150 students progress.
“We’re going to enter into a study with the Department of Education at Niagara University to track this and see for sure are we doing the right thing or not,” added Robert DiFrancesco.