Fifth Graders Attend Saturday Classes

More than 9,000 fifth graders began to attend special classes on Saturday mornings starting October 30th. This recently developed program is known as Saturday Academy and assists fifth graders in subjects such as math and English. These classes and tutoring sessions are held for a series of 24 Saturdays and are held at 118 various elementary schools. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg states this program was developed especially for students at risk of failing the fifth grade. These classes prepare those children for the citywide English and math examination that will determine whether or not they graduate to the sixth grade. A shocking 12,000 of the 15,000 invited to join the program enrolled, yet many students do not attend regularly.