(CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Freshman, sophomore and senior students in Madison City Schools will observe Enrichment Day on April 23.

On that date, all high school juniors in Madison will take the American College Test (ACT). “We are excited to offer the ACT exam to all juniors this year at no cost to the student,” superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler said. “We want to provide the very best opportunity for our juniors to shine on this important exam.”

For the ACT, classrooms at Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools need to be carefully monitored and free of noisy distractions. Madison Board of Education voted to allow other grades to pursue out-of-the routine work.

In March, students in grades 9, 10 and 12 selected one of six options for Enrichment Day. One option allows students to visit a college campus or a career site of interest. Students also can decide to volunteer for community service in Madison or gain work experience at a job.

With the “enrichment assignment” option, students can write a one-page “academic biography” relating to a class that helped to identify future interests. Also, they can visit an educational or historical attraction, like the U.S. Space & Rocket Center or Burritt on the Mountain, help middle-schoolers prepare for the 2014 Solar Sprint Challenge or attend a workshop based on Dave Ramsay Financial Peace University.

Study groups for several advance-placement courses will meet at CrossPointe Church. For off-campus activities, students will drive or ride the bus to school as normal and then take transportation.

“Service learning opportunities” will include helping with merchandise or landscaping at Asbury Community Thrift Store, cleaning and decorating at Downtown Rescue Mission, helping at Inside-Out Ministries, helping with Redstone Arsenal’s Earth Day celebration, organizing donations at Manna House or landscaping for Land Trust of North Alabama.

Students will submit documentation for Enrichment Day to their first-block teacher on April 24.