ROCHESTER — While adding an extra 20 days to the school year may not raise test scores, students at the first magnet school in the state proved how productive they’ve been since school began August 7.

As other students returned to classes August 29, members of the Maple Street Magnet School sang several songs in French, showed off their time capsule and made presentations about the past, present and future of their elementary school to eager parents and district officials.

Magnet schools are most often public schools with specific courses.

The new school, which runs on a 200-day schedule and draws students from across the city, brought a new purpose to the elementary school, located in a historically French section of the city.

While the long-term effects remain to be seen, the short-term success seems promising, according to Dr. Anthony Pastellis, who was one of the members of the School Board who attended the event.

“If you judge it, by the comments of the parents, it’s a success,” Pastellis said. A bigger indicator, Pastellis said, was the crowd of enthusiastic parents and residents who came to the short ceremony to see whether the extra class time is paying off.

Pastellis said their eagerness is systemic as the population of the school — students, families and staff — chose to take part in the process, which involves individual learning plans, and an introduction to French.

“It’s a credit to the kids,” Pastellis said.

Many students have picked up French quicker than the staff, even those who must brush up on their studies from their own time in school.

French Teacher Marty Wintje led the students in several songs, including “Bonjour Tout Le Monde,” “Sur Le Pont D’Avignon” and “La Vie Est Belle.”

Second grade students created a historical slideshow of Maple Street School, which replaced a previous school on the property in 1931, according to third grader Joey McAdams, 8.

“In the past, there was another school with two grades in one classroom,” McAdams said, adding that classroom had 93 third- and fourth-grade students in a building, which educated local children through grade 12.

Second grader Haley Freeman, 7, said students in grades two through four placed a pocket calculator for technology, a small stuffed white tiger to represent the school, letters of their experiences and photos from the magnet school’s first term in a time capsule that will be sealed inside a wall for 20 years.

Susan King, a para-educator at Chamberlain School in the district, said she wanted her son Alex, 9, who is a fourth-grade student at the school, to enjoy learning, even if it meant they would be in separate schools.

“So far, everything is great,” King said, adding Alex likes being involved in the projects — like preparing for the school’s grand opening Wednesday.

“He comes home happy every day,” his mother said, adding Alex is her “inventor.”

On the downside, King said she needs to learn some French before Alex uses it like her grandmother, who spoke it “when she didn’t want to know what she was saying.”

“He’ll be here another year when they add fifth graders,” King said.

Dave Stevens, a former City Councilor married to School Board Member Audrey Stevens, said his daughter Jadyn, 6, who is in the second grade, is enjoying her time at the magnet school.

“This is a cool concept,” Stevens said.

For more information, visit the link to the Maple Street Magnet School on www.rochesterschools.com.

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John Quinn may be reached at jquinn@newstote.com.