Students at Rochester’s 45-15 school head back to class

(ABC 6 News) – With backpacks on and lunchboxes in hand, kids at Longfellow Elementary School in Rochester headed back to class Wednesday for their first day back to school.

Longfellow Elementary is the only school in the Rochester Public School District with a 45/15 schedule, which means students attend school year round, with classes in session for 45 days on and then a 15 day off, with a six week break every summer.

To make first day excitement even better, students and staff are kicking off the new year in a brand new building that allows more opportunities for learning and student collaboration.

“I’ve heard from students and families our cooperative learning spaces for our kids to learn and collaborate within is really exciting. There’s a space in each pod for each grade level, and the natural light throughout the building is incredible. The playground is a huge hit, we have to gaga pits, so the students are really excited about that. I’m also excited for the learning opportunities with this new space. We do have solar panels here at Longfellow, and our fourth graders will have the opportunity to collect data, study and learn about that process and also report it back to the state. So, we’re super excited about that and new learning adventures and ways to collaborate and have fun together,” said Longfellow Principal Amy Adams.

Principal Adams also spoke about the benefits of the 45-15 learning style saying the balance allows students to stay engaged and retain information without forgetting anything learned over breaks.

The rest of RPS students go back to school in September.