The high school will switch to longer class periods for more flexible teaching options for the 2006-07 school year.
By: Linda Seida
WEST AMWELL South Hunterdon Regional High School will change to a modified block schedule for the 2006-07 school year, making class periods longer for more flexible teaching options while giving students an opportunity to pursue athletic activities without missing entire class periods, according to district officials.
The modified block schedule also has the advantage of allowing students to take a lab science without being pulled out of other classes such as physical education, algebra and music as they are now.
"The main reason is that it allows our teachers more flexibility during a class lesson," Principal Don Woodring said.
The modified block schedule is expected to "provide better instruction, and students will be more successful," he added.
Students who leave for athletic activities still could miss part of a class period, but they would be present long enough to receive instruction and assignments, according to Mr. Woodring.
The traditional schedule employed now calls for eight classes per day, each of them 44 minutes long. That doesn’t allow time for students to work on group projects or allow teachers to employ multimedia presentations or permit classes to visit off-site locations during class periods, according to Mr. Woodring.
Classes next year will be 82 minutes long. Four classes will be scheduled per day with alternating A-B days a set of four subjects one day; a different set of four subjects the next day. Morning and afternoon classes will rotate, allowing teachers to confer with students at different times of the day.
Students and faculty will have a 55-minute "unit lunch," which means everyone will eat lunch at the same time. By utilizing the extended lunch period, teachers will be able to extend class time for field trips or other activities. Also, student clubs and organizations will have the opportunity to meet during this period. Students who need extra help or who need to make up tests also can do it during this time.
"By incorporating that unit lunch during the 55-minute period, it gives us a space in the middle of the day so that everything isn’t competing after school," Superintendent Lisa Brady said. "There’s only so much time after school."
The Board of Education unanimously approved the schedule change earlier this month with no opposition from teachers or parents, according to officials. Different factions of the school’s population were consulted before the change was approved, according to Ms. Brady.
"I felt that the process that we used was very inclusive," she said. "We included teachers, we included students, we included staff, including the cafeteria services. This led to a better decision."