When the school year starts next week, Allen County-Scottsville High School students will be greeted with only a few minor changes from last year. One of the highlights is that students will see a class schedule which has been slightly modified from last year.
“Last year we were on a modified A-B schedule but this year we will be making a change,” high school Principal Shane Davis said. “This year we will still be on an A-B schedule but it’s a truer A-B schedule. Last year, we had eight periods on Monday’s. The eight-period Monday schedule is gone. We will have the same four classes on Monday’s and Wednesday’s---our “A” days---and the same classes on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, which will be our “B” days. Friday’s will be alternated between “A” and “B” days with a few modifications for short weeks we will have due to Professional Development and things like that.”
Davis explained that last year’s schedule was a learning experience---an experience that prompted the switch to this year’s revised A-B schedule format.
“We found that the eight period Monday schedule was a drain on the students and teachers but mostly on the students,” Davis added. “Students had to go to all eight classes which were difficult especially for some students who were taking five AP (Advanced Placement) classes. We felt like if we went to a truer A-B schedule it would help the students out a little more in terms of time management.”
This year, students will spend 90 minutes in each class, each school day. Built into the schedule will also be the 30-minute Flex period as was the case last year---but a time moved from the end of the day last year to 9:15 each morning this year. Davis notes that the Flex period will be used for several different objectives with a main focus being on a time for intervention work for students.
“It will still be a time for intervention, mentoring and homeroom activities,” Davis explained. “We are looking to modify this to be a more Response to Intervention time where we can have different interventions for different students. We are looking at some options with this.”
For the first time in over three years, Allen County-Scottsville High School students will begin the school year without renovation work in progress inside the high school. The recent $18 million facelift to the 44-year old school has been completed but students
will not be free from construction on the campus. Work is on-going on the new $11 million Allen County Career and Technical Center---a project expected to be completed this school year.
“Our goal is to get students into the new Tech Center by the end of school,” Davis said. “They (the construction managers) tell us that we will be able to move in by December. I hope we can but in reality, it may be spring break. We don’t really know an exact date we can move in but our goal is to be in the building by the end of the year.”
Sooner rather than later may be the case as work is progressing at a solid pace. Allen County Schools Director of Maintenance Clark Towery told the Allen County Board of Education last week that the project was on schedule with approximately 56 percent of the work complete.
When finished, the Tech Center will connect to the existing high school at what used to be the main entrance of the building. Students will have an enclosed walkway through which they can enter the Tech Center for classes in business, health sciences, industrial maintenance and automotive technology. The building will be a two-story structure in the front with classroom ranging between 2100 and 2500 square foot---including adjacent office space. The shop areas are in the rear of the facility and will house the industrial maintenance and auto tech work areas and classrooms.
For students driving to school, tentative plans call for a change from the traffic flow pattern of last year. Last year, students drivers were asked to enter the rear high school parking lot from Highway 31-E/231---coming through the parking lot for softball and between the baseball field and football stadium. In the afternoons, drivers exited on the road behind the middle school. However, this year, officials are hopeful that students will be able to enter and exit from the Old Bowling Green road.
“We are still working on that,” Davis said early Tuesday. “Nothing is set in stone at this point.”
If the new access road to the rear parking lot is completed, students will turn off the Bowling Green Road, veer right and go around the rear of the New Tech Center to the back of the high school---in much the same way as was the case for years. Traffic would exit in the opposite fashion in the afternoons. The road would be open to student drivers only for a short time in the mornings (approximately 6:45 until 7:40) and afternoon (2:50 to 3:10) and limited to construction traffic the remainder of the day.
Teachers at the high school will also be subject to the new Professional Growth and Evaluation System---the new statewide system designated to help teachers grow and craft their skills---thus becoming better educators in the process.
“We have spent a lot of time in training on this,” Davis said. “But, we spent a lot of time with our teachers last year going over the teacher effectiveness system. I honestly feel like that our central office staff has gotten us ready. We are leaps and bounds ahead of a lot of districts. Our teachers have been orientated to it and know what is happening.”
On Monday, August 4, from 4 until 7 p.m. high school students will have the opportunity to meet teachers, receive schedules and walk through the high school as part of the annual Open House.
Seniors and juniors are asked to come from 4 until 5:30. Freshman and sophomores can come from 5:30 until 7:00. However, high school principal Shane Davis strongly encourages all freshman parents to come at 5:30 to start meeting teachers and be prepared to attend the freshman orientation at 6:30 in the auditorium.
“It is extremely important for freshman parents to be at the orientation,” Davis said. “The orientation is more for the parents than the kids. The kids came over in the spring but this orientation is huge for the parents. It will get parents on the same page and let them know what we are about here at the high school. It is a time to get to know us. They will hear from administration and guidance on things like graduation requirements, the attendance policy, the schedule, discipline, and the Patriot Pride expectations.”
New teachers at the high school as of Tuesday include Derik Johnson in the science department, Hilton Isabel and Amy Williams in the Exceptional Childhood Education, and Cybile Corbin as a MSD (Moderate-Severe Disabilities) instructor. Megan Puckett will be teaching choir in a joint role with the middle school and assisting with the Patriot band. Davis also expects to have a new Family and Career Education teacher in place by opening day and a new school intervention teacher. An opening still remains in Health Science.
Parents should also note that many teachers this year will be using Remind 101---an on-line text messaging system which allows students and parents to keep track of assignments and announcements. Parents can also stay informed on happenings at the school by following AC-SHS@ac_shs on Twitter, Allen Co. Schools@AllenCoSchools on Twitter or on the news and events tab on the school website. For updates on AC-S Sports, follow ACS Sports@acs_sports on Twitter. The system-wide School Messenger will also be used to inform parents of events such as school delays, closings or early dismissals due to inclement weather.