Indiana Catholic school students get early start on new school year

Published: 2006-08-07

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (CNS) -- On the last day of July, most youngsters were not even thinking about school or homework yet, but students at Indiana Harbor Catholic School were already in class. "It's a little warm," said first-year teacher Kathryn Veryser on a day in which the mercury climbed into the 90s, "but otherwise it will work out well the year round. The students seem excited." Mireya Felix, 7, one of Veryser's first-graders, had another view: "I wish it was the first day of summer again. Then we wouldn't be in school." Israel Rivera, 9, a fourth-grader, added, "It feels like vacation just started." Their school, which is in the Gary Diocese, has embarked this year on a balanced calendar, meaning that in addition to an early start to the academic year, students will be in school 45 days, then off several days, then back to school. The second semester ends June 15, 2007. The school calendar has 181 instructional days, one more than the state requires. Under the traditional calendar, school would have started in mid-August.

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