Greensboro, NC-- Don't be surprised if you see buses in your neighborhood Thursday morning.
Three GCS schools will mark their first day back in the classroom on Thursday, August 4.
Brooks Global Studies and Washington Montessori in Greensboro and Johnson Street Global Studies in High Point all follow the extended-year calendar. Regional superintendents and staff will be visiting to welcome students on their first day.
Unlike a year-round school, which splits the 180-day calendar into equal segments, extended-year students are in the classroom 200 days a year. Students who attend extended-year schools starting in kindergarten will have received an extra 120 days of classroom instruction by the time they finish fifth grade.
"Having an extra 20 days each year allows us to approach our subjects with greater depth and lets kids really explore what they're learning," says Brooks Global Principal Linda Kidd. "Our students have a greater understanding of the material, and that's reflected in our academic performance."
Two other extended-year schools will open on Aug. 10. Oak Hill Elementary and Wiley Elementary both received School Improvement Grants, which add 10 days of instructional time to their calendars. Oak Hill is in its second year as an extended-year school, and Wiley is in its first, having received the grant this spring.
Also opening on Aug. 10 is The Middle College at UNCG, which welcomes its first class of ninth-graders. The middle college, led by Principal Angela Polk-Jones, will help prepare students for careers in health science.
The district's other middle colleges and academies will return Aug. 9, in accordance with their colleges' schedules. The Early College at Guilford will return Aug. 5. Schools on the traditional calendar will return Aug. 25.
WFMY/GCS