By Amanda Foust
After long days playing at the park, swimming in the pool until sunset, or simply getting caught up on sleep from the previous school year, it is now time to return back to school.
Teachers will return to Carmel/Clay Schools two days sooner than student to prepare for the excitement of what the new school year will bring. Although each year brings changes as students grow and advance, the 2014-15 officials say there are a few changes from last year’s core curriculum.
Students return on Aug. 13 with a weekend Fall Break Oct. 17 to Oct. 20, a two-week winter break Dec. 22 to Jan. 2, and one week for spring break from April 3 to April 10.
The regular holidays such as Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, and Memorial Day will also be considered “No School” days. If an easier winter this year is expected, the make-up days will be added to the end of the school year as usual.
Although there are similarities to last year, one thing that is constantly evolving and changing is technology at Carmel/Clay Schools. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is expanding throughout the district. Implementation will continue in bigger ways this year, which requires constant updating and training.
According to Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment, Amy Dudley, she said, “This summer we hosted an E-Learning technology conference. We hosted one in Carmel with 400 participants where they came to learn how to integrate this technology.”
There will also be new curriculum changes this year for all grades. These changes include reading, writing, speaking and listening curriculum. In combination with these new materials, the district has adopted the new Indiana Academic Standards.
Dudley said, “These new materials will help support the Indiana Academic Standards implementation. Our Indiana Standards have some common core pieces as well as new pieces.”
For grades kindergarten through fifth grade curriculum, there will be a program called Reach for Reading, which is published in National Geographic magazine. Grades sixth through 12th will have a variety of different fiction and nonfiction texts and novels as a part of the new curriculum, as well as some short stories that will help support this implementation.
Students and parents can look forward to the new technology and curriculum changes at Carmel/Clay schools. Only a few weeks left for back to school shopping and preparing those backpacks before the new school year begins.
