Morgan Local Students In the Classroom For Saturday School

To make up for snow days, some local students were back in the classroom Saturday.  WHIZ’s Katie Jeffries has the story.

It may be Saturday, but it is business as usual for the 2,200 students at Morgan Local Schools, including the 400 students at East Elementary School.

"We have done Saturdays for about four years and during that four year time frame, we have much better attendance on Saturdays in February, March and April than we do in middle of the week in June if we tack the days on the end of the year," says Superintendent Lori Snyder-Lowe.

With eleven calamity days used already this year due to snow, Morgan Local School officials wanted to get students back in the classroom before achievement testing in April.

"That is why we are glad to be here today on Saturday, to get our kids prepared because we have missed almost two weeks of days.  It is a good day, we are having a great day," says Beth Kutscherenko a 4th and 5th grade teacher and a member of the school’s Achievement Testing Committee.

The principal says East Elementary school has had good attendance so from students Saturday and they had 100% attendance from their staff .

In the classrooms 2nd grade students gathered around their teacher for a lesson on reading and writing and 4th graders worked on their problem solving skills.

"Our teachers are teaching, kids are learning, we do want to make it fun and engaging.  We have activities where kids are working together and learning can be fun and that is what we are promoting for today," says Lynn Copeland the Principal at East Elementary School.

Copeland and Lowe both say the students had cabin fever and were excited to see their friends at school.

"Owen, how do you feel about being in school today?" I asked.

 "Good!" tells Kindergartner, Owen Robinson.

"Well, I would rather be at home, but it is good to come here and learn," says 6th grader, Lillian Atheney.

The students will have school on two more Saturdays and may start adding a half hour onto certain school days to make-up for the eleven calamity days. Superintendent Lowe says Maysville and Franklin local schools have contacted her about the use of Saturday school.

But for now there is no sleeping in on Saturday for Morgan Local students.

I’m Katie Jeffries, WHIZ News.

Katie Jeffries

KJeffries@whizmediagroup.com