On Friday, August 2, the staff at Rolland-Warner Middle School will host a year-round ribbon cutting ceremony. The ceremony, in honor of the school’s new year-round middle school program, will begin at 11 a.m. in the school’s gymnasium.

More than 100 students elected to join the program that operates on a balanced academic calendar with shorter and more frequent breaks. Students working on this calendar begin classes July 31, more than one month earlier than their counterparts on the traditional (long-summer) calendar.

“As a district, we are thrilled to be able to offer this choice to middle school students for the first time,” said Lapeer Community Schools Superintendent Matt Wandrie. “We have a great team in place for our first year and we expect interest in the program will grow every year.”

The program will operate as a “school within a school,” as the majority of the students will remain on the traditional calendar. This new program offering is in line with Wandrie’s mission to provide more choice to students and their families.

“Much like we saw last school year with the opening of the year-round school at Turrill Elementary, we believe that choice can have a powerful impact on student achievement,” Wandrie said.

Wandrie and Doris Rolland, one half of the school’s namesake, will share a few words about the new program and its positive effects. Members of the LCS Board of Education will also be in attendance.

The event is open to the public.

For more information, visit LapeerSchools.org.