issue II
NEWS
3
RSD approves changes to second semester lauren PICKETT
FIRST SEMESTER WILL CONCLUDE Thursday, Jan. 14, allowing teachers to prepare for second semester, which will begin Tuesday, Jan. 19. Students, whether learning virtually or inperson, will return to a seven-course schedule and attend four classes daily in a rotating block day schedule until Thursday, June 3. In the event MHS is advised to temporarily suspend in-person attendance due to COVID-19, MHS would follow the B-C schedule virtually and consider building more virtual days into the semester schedule. Principal Dr. Steve Hankins said the semester system could be advantageous for students, especially those enrolled in Senior Incentive as school ends at the same time everyday. Also, teachers may be able to slow the pace of instruction, better aid students and have more time for reassessments. “One of the consequences we saw from the quarter schedule is if you are sick, it is a lot harder to get caught up,” Dr. Hankins said. “Now that we have been in this model for a whole semester, a lot of the technology is figured out, so it makes sense to go back to the semester model.” The second semester schedule will continue using a concurrent teaching model, combining asynchronous learning online and live class instruction. In the 2021-2022 academic year,
MHS will move back to a semester system with a B and C day schedule with 4 classes per day until Thursday, June 3. Students cannot switch from virtual to in-person until Spring Break.
In-person students learn about AP World History from Matthew Del Pizzo. AP students will have more time with teachers during the new semester to prepare for the end-of-year exams. Photograph by Connor Del Carmen
virtual classes will be asynchronous with fewer courses offered. Dr. Hankins said students who choose virtual learning will not be able to switch back before Spring Break, which starts Monday, March 22, and the same applies after the break. Inperson students will be allowed to opt for virtual classes anytime in the year. Students taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses will have the third and the majority of the fourth quarter to attend their classes which should provide educators more time to teach material to their first or second quarter students. Dr. Hankins said although the COVID-19 infection rates are too high to implement Flex Time, he hopes a vaccine will allow more students to come back in person in the spring and return to a sense of normalcy in the
fall. Aditi Srinivasan, junior, said she is concerned about students’ workloads and stress increasing due to the transition from three to seven courses. She is enrolled in AP courses and prefers spreading out her classes in the quarter schedule. She said students like herself taking AP classes and participating in extracurriculars may need assistance with material. Srinivasan said it is important to consider alternatives to Flex Time as the current student office hours after school will no longer be available starting second semester. “In-person students have more of an advantage of communicating with teachers one-on-one,” Srinivasan said. “For virtual students, you never know what issues can happen with technology. It can be harder to reach
In the 2020-2021 academic year, virtual classes will be completely asynchronous with fewer courses offered. out to teachers and get the help you need without interacting with them.” Srushti Bhoyar, junior, said continuing to use the quarter system would cause her to not fully comprehend each class’ material and to forget content as she doesn’t have time to review course units from previous quarters. She said a slower transition into the semester system is plausible as there will be more courses but less content to cover on a weekly basis. She is still concerned about the impacts of the fast-paced quarter system on her preparedness for AP exams next semester. “I’m really scared for the seven classes a week,” Bhoyar said. “It might take a toll on my mental health, but I feel we should be able to go back to what used to be ‘normal schooling’.”
Program allows students to recover first quarter credit grace TAYLOR
in an asynchronous format on Canvas taught by an RSD teacher. STUDENTS WHO FAILED CLASSES Liz Pease, language arts teacher, in the first quarter are earning back teaches 10th grade ELA credit recovery credits needed to graduate during the for MHS and EHS students. She is only second quarter. teaching two out of three courses this Assistant Superintendent of quarter, so she thought she would help Learning and Support students avoid summer Services Dr. Shelley school. 77 students at Willott organized the “Launch is a good MHS are enrollment process. In program as well, but the past, RSD utilized it is not aligned with enrolled in the Launch, a third-party our curriculum per credit recovery se,” Pease said. “There vendor for online content, but because is little connection program in of the pandemic, Dr. one assignment second quarter between Willott said RSD sped and another, while the up the process to Information from MHS Registrar Rockwood program create their own credit builds upon itself, recovery program. reinforcing writing skills Students who failed a first-quarter within the reading comprehension core class were contacted by their skills, and all under the umbrella of a principal. If they chose to participate, central theme.” they are now retaking the failed course Even with asynchronous learning,
Pease said she is involved with her students. She sends out daily announcements, encourages them to contact her with any questions and reminds them of Zoom office hours. “Giving students that second chance is sometimes what they need for future success in high school,” Pease said. “All kids are capable; however, life happens and we need to be able to provide a cushion for those that need it.” Principal Dr. Steve Hankins said it is beneficial for students to retake courses during the second quarter because there are only three classes. Students retaking courses also will be much more familiar with the course work than before. “It’s our curriculum, our teachers and our students,” Dr. Hankins said. “We have a much better shot at meeting the needs of students and getting them through.”
Liz Pease, language arts teacher, teaches her online and in-person class. Pease also teaches in the credit recovery program. Photograph by Connor Del Carmen