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JAMESBURG: School sets schedule change

BY Jenine Clancy, Special Writer
JAMESBURG — Grace M. Breckwedel Middle School will switch to block scheduling, Principal Chad Donahue announced at the school board meeting on Aug. 21.
Mr. Donahue, who took over from former superintendent and principal Gail Verona, said the new scheduling will incorporate back-to-back classes that will be made up of 82-minite classes, instead of the previous 40-minute classes.
"Trying to fit, let’s say, algebra in in 40 minutes is a pretty large task, so we are able to find a double block of time, so now students really have time to work on things, not just to know the skill, but be able to apply it and use it in the real world," Mr. Donahue said. "It’s not enough just to solve an equation or a formula, students need to be able to know how to use it, and that’s where they get the time to use that and get that understanding."
Board President Robert Czarneski said he has always noticed there is a dip in grades usually from fifth to sixth grade and then when kids enter high school, and that now with block scheduling it will not be as big of an issue.
"Not saying there is a fix with scheduling, but to implement this in our middle school will shorten the bridge to the high school because there will now be a similarity when students enter high school," Mr. Czarneski said.
Classes at Monroe High School are 84 minutes, and with the new scheduling at the middle school classes will be 82 minutes.
Some other scheduling changes include combining reading and writing classes, instead of reading in the morning and writing in the afternoon.
"With the reading and writing connection, with something like the common core, the expectation when you get out of school is you are required to write not just about how you feel, but respond to the text you are given," Mr. Donahue said. "You want to use that information between the reading and gain knowledge and being able to apply it into writing, it’s so important."
A new 40-minute period will also be added at the end of the school day, with hopes of it becoming some type of elective. The addition was made possible with the elimination of a 10-minute book-exchange period throughout the day.
"We will work with teachers on what they are passionate about and coming up with that elective period at the end of the day," Mr. Donahue said. "If you are passionate about gardening or knitting, we will work it in; we could apply it if they wanted to do student council or sports."
Mr. Donahue said the electives would change every quarter.