MHS announces schedule changes

Monroe High school put out its new “Student Weekly Schedule,”  which will be in effect starting on November 30. The new schedule will move fourth, fifth, and sixth hour to be in the morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the afternoon will be all asynchronous work time. Live classes are now 50 minutes and will have 10 minute breaks in between. 

According to Principal Steve Pollzzie, MHS made this decision after looking at data on attendance and grades. While the research and decision making was in the works for a few weeks, the decision came shortly after MPS went completely virtual on Nov. 9. First, second, and third-hour were doing significantly better, so they decided to switch all classes to the morning in hopes for an improvement in grades and attendance for fourth, fifth, and sixth hours.

MHS administration also said they want to stress remote learning expectations for students to go along with the new schedule. 

“Students are expected to attend all classes, engage in live zooms by talking, chatting, doing activities, and complete any asynchronous work as supplements to the live lessons,” Pollzzie said. “The asynchronous work time (provided the whole second half of the day) is expected to be used to contact teachers for help and makeup work.”

Pollzzie said he has high hopes for success and improvement after implementing the new schedule.

“We are hoping to build daily routines for the students, similar to that when they were in the structured school day in the school building,” he said. 

Announcement of the new schedule comes with mixed reviews from students. 

Junior Kamryn Bice said she agrees with parts of the change but doesn’t really think it will help students. 

 “I like the idea of having longer zooms, but I feel like everyone has already established their own daily schedule,” said Bice. “I don’t really think there was an issue with the original schedule, so I don’t think this will fix anything. Having 25 minutes in each class in the afternoon is pointless because you won’t get anything done and will just have to do it after school anyways.”

MHS parent Amy Winkleman said she thinks the new schedule is a great solution for the lack of attendance and grade issues Monroe is facing with virtual learning.

“I think it’s a good idea and makes a lot of sense,” she said. “Consistency is best for the kids right now.”