West Newsletter Spring 2018 (Final 4-23)

Hybrid schedule will utilize 90-minute periods
to promote critical thinking skills, problem-solving
As you’ve likely heard, all District 207 high schools
will implement a new hybrid block bell schedule for
the 2018-2019 school year. This is the result of years
of research by a district-wide committee, along with
critical input from all stakeholders including students,
parents and staff. The result is a schedule designed
to help maximize student learning through a
combination of important changes highlighted here.
A sample student schedule is included below.
First, the new schedule will allow for increased instructional
time in most classes. Currently, a select
few classes are 70 minutes while most are only 45.
The new hybrid schedule eliminates 1.5 period classes,
allowing for increased instructional time in most
classes and increased instructional time overall.
Although research indicates that maximizing instructional
time has a direct impact on student
learning, the addition of one 90-minute block period
per week for each class will also have a significant
positive impact on learning. The 90-minute periods
will give teachers in all subject areas the necessary
time to provide deeper learning experiences that
will promote higher order thinking skills. Teachers
will utilize the 90-minute periods to implement
activities that will encourage and promote complex
problem solving, critical thinking and creativity...
skills coveted by 21st Century employers. Although
such learning experiences are already happening
throughout all departments at Maine West, the addition
of a 90-minute period for each class, each
week will allow for more consistent opportunities for
such activities in all subject areas, for all students.
Another noteworthy change is that the school day
will begin 20 minutes later, with 1st period starting
at 8:05 a.m. (except late arrival on Thursdays
at 8:45). Studies consistently show that a later start
time is advantageous for adolescent learning, not
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Schedule notes:
• “Lunch/Flex” is a dedicated time for students to eat lunch, do homework or access additional student support throughout
the building as needed. Freshman students will be assigned to a quiet study hall during their flex time and will also have
access to additional student supports.
• Since this student has lunch during 4th period, there is not a designated lunch period on Tuesday. In this case, the student’s
lunch on Tuesday will be embedded at the front end or back end of 5th period. You’ll notice that 5th period shows as
being 120 minutes long for this purpose. In reality, the 5th period class will only be 90 minutes long with all students having
additional lunch/flex time embedded at either the front or back end, depending on the class the student is assigned to that
period. The same concept is applied to the 6th period on Wednesday.
to mention overall health. This shift to a later start
time was a priority when developing the new schedule.
The school day will end at 3:20, which is only 5
minutes later than the current ending time. Therefore,
this unique schedule allows for a shorter school
day while increasing overall instructional minutes
and instructional flexibility for every student in every
class, each week.
Finally, the hybrid bell schedule was designed to
maximize the time that students are with their
regularly assigned teachers. Student attendance is
critical to academic success. However, several times
throughout the year in the current schedule, our
Student Services Department must deliver valuable
lessons or provide important information to groups
of students during class time which, of course, negatively
impacts instructional time. Conversely, the
new hybrid schedule intentionally designates nonclass
time for each student to meet in groups or individually
with his/her counselor for these purposes.
As with the importance of student attendance, we
also recognize that the student-teacher relationship
is an often underestimated factor in learning, and
that minimizing teacher absences for professional
purposes will, in turn, maximize student learning.
Due to the intentional scheduling of teacher time on
Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the hybrid schedule will
allow for more embedded professional development
opportunities for teachers without requiring a substitute.
District 207’s unwavering support of continuous
professional learning for our teachers, and
belief that such professional growth is critical to the
academic success of students, is evidenced by this
important and unique aspect of the new schedule.
As Maine West students, teachers and families prepare
to shift to the new hybrid bell schedule in August,
know that extensive thought was invested in
this endeavor and that delivering the most effective
and meaningful learning experience for all of our
Page 6 Page 7
Schedule paves way for enhanced student support
Celebrate Spring with NHS Plant Sale
National Honor Society is having a Mother’s Day Plant Sale May 10 and 11 from
7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. in the greenhouse at Homestead near the baseball fields
on Howard, east of Wolf. All proceeds will benefit improvement of the greenhouse.
NHS has planted seeds at school and has been caring for and watching
the seedlings grow every day. With the money from the sale, NHS hopes to buy
polycarbonate siding, a secure door, grow lights and a heater someday! This will
help our Life Skills and Biology students and hopefully start a garden club!
students was the foundation upon which the schedule
was built. We are excited about the opportunities
this schedule provides and we are available to
answer any questions you may have.
With the new Hybrid schedule, the Student Services
Department faces great opportunities to offer more
personalized student support and enrichment time
in the academic, socio-emotional, and college/career
domains for the 2018-2019 year and beyond.
During the block days on Tuesday and Wednesdays,
students will have a block of time designated as “flex
time,” varying from 45 to 90 minutes. By default,
every student will have this time carved into his or
her schedule on either block day, which creates the
opportunity for counselors to deliver lessons and
services that before the hybrid schedule had to be
delivered using classroom instructional time.
Student Services is excited about the new opportunity
to deliver lessons on a variety of topics ranging
from financial aid, college admission, stress reduction
and executive functioning skills. Counselors, social
workers, and psychologists will be able to meet
with students in groups or individually. Students
will be able to obtain academic and socio-emotional
interventions during their flex time but not every
Student Service presentation or lesson will be taking
place during this flex time. However, we will be able
to significantly reduce the amount of missed classroom
instruction time by meeting with students in a
time other than a class period.
As we embark on the exciting hybrid schedule adventure,
the Student Services Department will be
working to identify the best format for our presentations/interventions
and the best way to continue
to deliver services to all students! The new schedule
will give us opportunities to offer more personalized
student support and enrichment time for 2018-2019
and beyond.