Barnstable High Preps The Schedule For Next Year

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Photo by Christmaelle Vernet

The newly crafted ‘blended schedule’ will be followed by students and staff in the upcoming year.

Christmaelle Vernet, Staff Writer
June 2, 2021

Whether participating within the school in Cohorts A, B, and C or completing school fully remote in Cohort D, every member of the Barnstable school district was affected by the unconventional nature of this school year’s schedule. As the year concludes, the task of creating a new schedule for the 2021-2022 school year arises. Barnstable administrators have crafted a ‘blended schedule’ in hopes of providing a functional schedule for students and staff alike.

The new schedule offers two days (Monday and Friday) of 44 minute periods where students will attend all seven classes and three days (Tuesday-Thursday) of 68-minute instructional periods. There will also be a return in a weekly advisory time and two direct study periods for students to get a headstart on school work.

“Seeing students three days a week is not enough, this new schedule should allow for more frequent contact class time rather than three days a week or at least four days a week. We have to factor in passing time, we can’t do seven periods every day, that’s a lot of passing time,” said Administrator-In-Charge Kristen Harmon.

Some students also had their own critiques of this year’s schedule.

“

I didn’t like the schedule at all, but I liked the mask breaks. I didn’t like the schedule because it was way too long,

— Julia Noreau

“I didn’t like the schedule at all, but I liked the mask breaks. I didn’t like the schedule because it was way too long,” said freshman Julia Noreau. 

Noreau also recommended adding more classes to the day but shortening the class times. Eighth-grader Ayla Camelo would like to see “fewer classes each day, longer class times, and more lunchtime.” 

The process of creating a new schedule heavily involved the opinions of Barnstable faculty, according to Harmon. “There were three different schedules presented to staff.  Staff had the opportunity to review the schedule and provide three positives, three challenges, and two questions. We did it in conjunction with a staff meeting,” said Harmon. 

Lastly, Harmon said she is looking forward to “solidifying former TGA groups with small groups of 12-15 students. Teachers have asked for their former TGA students back.”