PADUCAH, KY - Enthusiasm filled the air at Walker Hall in Paducah on Tuesday as McCracken County High School Principal, Michael Ceglinski, presented details about the new, state of the art, school that opens to students this August. Principal Ceglinski was a special guest and speaker to the Paducah Lions Club weekly meeting.

The focus of Ceglinski's presentation included the layout of the building and special features at the new 'state of the art' facility. The principal explained how the school is designed and organized to create small communities of learning for students. Each student is assigned to one of five homes that consist of approximately 385 classmates.

The Paducah Lions Club President, Lori Devine says, the principal's enthusiasm caught her attention. She says, "He's a very enthusiastic young man, and I believe he is going to make an awesome principal. He's excited about the school and providing support to his students, and insuring their success."
 
The localized community of each house provides students with a "home base". Each house has its own principal, guidance counselor and team of teachers. Core academic classes such as math, science, social studies and English are taught within the students assigned home. The students leave "home base" to attend elective courses that are spread out across the building. This promotes interaction with students that are assigned to  neighboring homes.

President Devine says, she is a fan of the student housing because it creates a smaller student to teacher ratio. It allows each student more attention, guidance and help. The community concept creates a small school atmosphere, while offering a great deal of academic, extracurricular and co-curricular options that are common at large schools.

Ceglinski was excited to inform the club about the significant number of electives and program offerings that are available. Agriculture, radio and health sciences were among many that were discussed. The school also offers twenty-six advanced courses that allow students a jump-start on their secondary education.

Principal Ceglinski says, "The biggest thing is, we are less than a month away from opening the doors to students. On August 9, it's not going to be about giving tours anymore, but students getting an excellent education here in McCracken County."