CDH Switches to Block Schedule
September 29, 2020
When the switch to a block schedule was announced last year, no one could have imagined what this fall would look like. We stuck with our old schedule for the first few weeks of school, allowing students to see each of their teachers every day they were on campus and build strong relationships. Now, we are excited to switch to a block schedule that will allow for deeper learning.
The new schedule, which was in place alongside the hybrid learning model we are currently using, will allow students to attend three or four classes each day.
"Students will be able to focus their energy towards specific classes each day instead of spreading themselves too thin across 7 classes," said Math teacher Bea Egan Hellickson '00. "Hopefully, they will gain a deeper understanding of the material they are seeing in each class because of the additional time in the classroom. Additionally, this gives students a preview to college where they will see fewer classes on a daily basis for longer periods of time. Any extra experience in this format is a benefit!"
The new schedule allows more time for individual tutoring and participation in clubs and activities during the school day. It also limits the number of individuals each student and teacher comes in contact with each day. As the weather gets colder, this is an important COVID-19 mitigation strategy.
Eventually, Flex time will become more open and span the entire lunch period for all grades, allowing students to move between club meetings, eating, spending time with friends, and getting help from teachers. For now, Flex time will be the first half of the Flex/lunch period for 9th and 10th graders and the second half for 11th and 12th graders. Students will get to choose where they want to spend that 35 minutes, which could include getting help from teachers, working in the LLC, being part of a Campus Ministry meeting, and more. This will limit spread and allow us to effectively contact trace.
"The students are excited to have more flexibility and more choice in terms of how they spend their time," said Assistant Principal Amy Bellus '90.
Community time is when we will eventually have assemblies, all-school masses, CASA, and other gatherings. For now, it's a time for socially-distanced meetings, clubs, and one-on-one tutoring from teachers.
The current plan has two purple days in a row and then two gold days in a row. This will allow all students to see their teachers in person during every rotation.