Students in the Catoosa County school system will return to classes Thursday, Aug. 6. Teachers begin Monday, Aug. 3.

After July 27 the school offices will be open for business. Administrators came back-to-school on July 20.

The academic calendar for 2009-10 includes no major changes from last school year.

The central enrollment center at the county office is open year-round for families to enroll in our schools, and staff at the center can answer many school-related questions.

Here is a list of new principals and their respective schools:

Kim Erwin was assistant principal at Tiger Creek Elementary School. She is the new principal at Ringgold Elementary School.

Doug Suits was assistant principal at Ringgold High School. He is the new principal at Woodstation Elementary School.

Lamar Brown was principal at Ringgold Middle School. He is the new principal at the Performance Learning Center.

Mike Sholl is the new principal at Ringgold Middle School.

New this year: Credit recovery program available in high schools

A new program at Catoosa County high schools this year will allow students to make up for failed courses and even take advanced placement courses.

“It’s not just credit recovery,” Catoosa County high school improvement specialist Trish Schimpf said. “It has so many other venues for students.”

The credit recovery program will be part of the students’ daily class schedule. They will spend the allotted time in a computer lab, working at their own pace on different subjects.

A teacher will act as facilitator, setting deadlines and test times.

The software the students will use is from Apex Learning, an academic software company.

Students can use this program to retake failed courses or supplement a course transferred from another school, Schimpf said.

The program will help those who started a foreign language that is not available at a their new Catoosa County school.

Summer school is not always an option for some students, Schmipf said. Some have work and family obligations and even athletic practice during the summer months.

The credit recovery program will also be available before and after school as needed.