Las Lomas Tries Out a Block Schedule to Mixed Reactions

courtesy of the Acalanes High School District

After a week of a “mock block” schedule, teachers and students are preparing for next year when real block schedule begins.

“Mock Block” involved the whole school walking through the new block schedule—one day of seven classes, followed by four days of 90-minute periods. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, students attended periods 1, 2, 3, and 6. On Wednesdays and Fridays, students went to periods 4, 5, and 6.

Next year, thanks to student and staff feedback, the placement of sixth- and seventh-periods will be switched.

Other than that, the only difference between the trial week and the real block schedule was how the school used the Academy periods. Next year, Academy periods will be a time for students to work with their teachers and counselors or collaborate with peers, whereas during the Mock Block trial week, students had to stay in their fourth- and fifth-period classes.

After a short information session about WASC, the organization that will be visiting the school for accreditation. After that, students were given a free period in a specific classroom.

“We want kids to be informed about WASC, so we [used] one of the Academy sessions for WASC.”

Teachers and students had mixed reaction to the week.

Many students complained about the length of the periods.

“I prefer the regular schedule because like the block schedule you like sitting in one class for like way too long,” said freshman Riley Pellman.

Pellman said, however, that she thinks the switch will be better for stress.

“I have different classes on different days so that means homework due on different days, and I get more time to do my homework,” she said.

Freshman Graham Rossi strongly preferred the regular schedule: “I feel like we are able to check in with our classes each day instead of not having that, and in some of my classes, we are having two lessons a day,” he said. “Why not learn one and get the subject down instead of two?”

English teacher Adrianne Spencer thinks the new schedule will be beneficial.

“I think block schedule will be a positive thing on campus because it will slow down the pace of the day a little bit so that students aren’t shuffling from one place to another,” Spencer said. “I think those transitions can be exhausting, so I think being able to focus on three or four subjects a day is going to make people’s stress levels a little lower and make the school day feel a little bit more manageable.”

Although she thinks the block schedule will be a good change, she doesn’t think the transition will be easy.

“Change is always difficult so I’m sure there will be a learning curve,” she said. “I think everybody just needs to be patient and flexible, especially the first year.”

English teacher Elizabeth Anders said, “I think it’ll help me, as a teacher, figure out how to use my time in the classroom.”

Block Schedule has become finalized and will be put into action at the start of next year.

The staff has decided to organize the periods as follows: 1 - 2 - 3 - 7, and 4 - 5 - 6.