Learn More About: Extended School Day at Solvay

The learning doesn’t always have to stop when the last bell rings. Thanks to the Extended School Day program, students in the Solvay Union Free School District (UFSD) have been given the option to participate in a variety of projects within each school in the district.

The Extended School Day program runs throughout all three schools in Solvay UFSD. The program is funded through the Community Schools State Aid that Solvay UFSD receives from New York State. The Extended School Day program started out in Solvay Elementary School (SES) and Solvay Middle School (SMS), with 26 teachers working to provide after school programming to students. The program ran in SES and SMS from January to April.

Following the return from spring break, Solvay High School began offering the Extended School Day program as well, providing preparation classes for SAT/ACT tests, as well as Regents test review.

Projects for SES and SMS varied from robotics to art projects to cursive. Teachers participating in the program were allowed to come up with their own ideas on what projects they could offer to students. All projects were well received by the students, with some spanning the entire length of the program and others changing each week. At the close of each project, students were invited to present their work to the group, allowing them to work to improve their social and presentation skills in a comfortable environment.

“It was a great program for our students,” said Ellen Sheehan, SES Coordinator for the program. “They were all so eager to stay after school to learn more and complete these projects.”