The Lenape Regional High School District Board of Education approved a new four-day rotating student schedule, which will be implemented district-wide beginning September 2015. Highlights of the new schedule include six longer periods per day, a mid-day Community Lunch & Learn and additional daily instructional time.
The New Student Schedule Committee presented the new schedule to the board for approval following nearly a year of research and exhaustive analysis of a variety of options, including visiting several New Jersey school districts, facilitating staff, student and parent focus groups and large group presentations.
According to Superintendent of Schools Carol Birnbohm, Ed.D., the result is a “student-focused” schedule designed to increase instructional time, reduce academic stress, promote accountability and personal responsibility, as well as teach time management skills with the goal of preparing students of all abilities for success in college, careers and life.
“The site visits, research and collaboration with multiple district-wide stakeholders have resulted in a schedule that we believe meets the needs of all of our students,” said Birnbohm. “Enthusiasm for
the new schedule has been building, especially and most importantly, among our students and staff.
We also are gratified by the hundreds of parents who attended each of last week’s presentations at all four of our schools, when we unveiled the schedule and answered their questions.”
The new schedule enables students to take up to eight courses with just six classes meeting per day on a four-day rotation, with the rotation beginning again every fifth day. Six longer (57 minutes) classes per day encourage more active learning opportunities, providing time for framing the lesson, research, writing, discussion, practice and closure, as well as other active learning strategies.
The new Community Lunch & Learn will encourage a sense of community among students and staff during a set period in the middle of the day. Lunch will be served in various locations throughout the buildings during this entire time period. Students will be able to purchase food at kiosks and snack stands situated throughout the building, as well as the cafeteria.
In addition to eating lunch during the Community Lunch & Learn time, students also will be able to direct their remaining time to either use the media center for research, have access to hundreds of computers in various computer labs, complete assignments, schedule appointments with guidance counselors, participate in peer counseling, tutoring; or get extra help with schoolwork.
Seneca High School teacher Kathy Donoghue, a member of the committee said, “There are a lot of positive things in the new schedule. It’s a good steppingstone for the kids as they prepare for a college campus. They won’t have the same classes at the same times every day. They won’t see the same teachers every day. These kids had the high school schedule in middle school; this gives them the next step.”
Donoghue’s colleague, Tony Guerrera, a special education teacher at Lenape High School, added that although at first he was apprehensive about the new schedule because he wouldn’t see all of his students every day and “we’re all creatures of habit,” he believes that the new schedule will leave students fresher and less stressed if they don’t have every class, every day.
“Our district already does a great job of preparing students for success beyond high school,” said Guerrera, “so you might ask why fix a schedule that already works. But I think that our interest in always improving and enhancing the quality of education we provide is what makes us that much better.”
Birnbohm added the district has built in supports for students to familiarize them with the new rotating schedule. “As this schedule will be new for everyone, there will be a concerted effort made to acclimate all students to the new schedule,” she said.
For more information and to view a LDTV-produced video about “Building a Better Schedule,” visit the LRHSD website at www.lrhsd.org.
