Mario Faiman and Lindsey Macdonald | Staff Writers

UPDATE: CGHS will NOT have an eLearning Day on Sept. 11 or Oct. 11. The school determined that more time was necessary to prepare for eLearning days. All students will be expected to report on both dates. Those dates will have a special schedule for all students and will not be a red or white day.

On Wednesday, Aug. 15, there will be no school for Center Grove High School students. But that is not the only day out of school for students.

On Aug. 15, teachers will come to school to be trained on literacy strategies while students do not attend. Because this is an educational day for high school teachers, both the middle and elementary schools will still be in session. All high school students have this day off.

What is happening on August 15?

This professional development seminar, taught by consultant and former teacher Kristina Smekens, is to help teachers learn how to help kids read better in their classes. “This will help all teachers become teachers of reading but specifically in their content specific area,” Assistant Principal Tracy McMahen said. For example, Smekens will help math teachers improve ways to teach math vocabulary to their students.

Using a professional day without students in the building allows the school to host the seminar for all teachers without trying to fill classrooms with substitute teachers. The state of Indiana allows schools with an A-rating this flexibility if they have more class days than are required by the state, which CG does.  

“Even with these waiver days, we still go over by a significant number [of hours],” McMahen said.

August 15 is not the only day with unusual hours.

Freshmen and sophomore have another unique day out of school coming soon. While juniors and seniors are participating in the Day of Caring and the Senior Seminar on Sept. 11, the underclassmen will be piloting the first of two eLearning days this year.

Freshmen and sophomores do not come to school, instead completing the assignments teachers give out via Canvas. The second eLearning day will be during PSAT testing on Oct. 11. Freshmen and seniors will be expected to do their classwork from home, while sophomores and juniors are required to come to school to take the PSAT.

For the first eLearning day, students will have one week, until September 18, to complete the assignments that will be posted on Canvas. More information will be coming about eLearning and the expectations for students on those days.