Students will have some extra time and attention as the 2024-2025 school year kicks off, when changes to the Bridgeport High School and Middle School schedules take effect.
An additional 36-minute “flex” period has been created for each school day. Students will have access to intervention and more time to complete assignments.
The new period was made possible by adding five minutes to the end of the school day, altering the other class times from 43 minutes to 40 minutes, and reducing time between classes.
There will be no interruption to the district programs, and Bridgeport High School Principal Jack Fisher said the new period will mean an overall yearly increase of 39 class time hours.
“We actually have more instructional time,” Fisher said.
Superintendent Brent Ripley described the scheduling initiative as: “Helping kids get help.” The program will include student meetings and tutoring and will address a common need among students as they work on their assignments.
“One of the things we did in our schedule change this year is there’s a common time now where kids will have availability to get tutoring, intervention help. Every kid on any assignment they need help with,” Ripley said. “If a kid’s struggling in chemistry, they’ll be able to go to that chemistry teacher for help during this common time.”
He commended the teachers and administration for their work on the new schedule.
Ripley said this will mean more opportunities and resources to help students who are late with work complete their assignments.
“Our intent is that the work will get done. Not doing your work is not an option. You will do the work, and we will support you with quality,” he said. “We want kids in classes, taking classes. The flex gives them the support to do that.”
Curriculum Director Leslie Kosanovic said the new schedule represents a year and a half of planning by a district team of administrators and teachers.
“The overall theme is really increasing access for students to their teachers and teachers to their students. If you have a group that needs enrichment or a group that needs extra help, that can happen.”
She said the district is currently organizing how a student or students and teachers will schedule use of this period.
“It could be one-on-one or a small group, or an entire class,” she said. “It’s flexible.”
Kosanovic said the new period also dovetails with the district’s YouScience program, which includes tests for ninth through 12th graders to gauge students’ strengths and what careers they might want to explore.
Fisher said the school will be better able to support students as they meet their goals in learning and career readiness.
“This flex time is really helping us meet the goals and the needs of our students,” he said.
Kosanovic agreed.
“It ties in with the district and high school graduation goals. We want all students to be able to explore a variety of careers throughout their middle school and high school years, so when they graduate, they are prepared for whatever they choose as their next step,” she said. “Graduation is a through-point, not an endpoint.”
Middle School Principal Anne Haverty Lawson said her students would put the new period to good use, not only with assistance in homework assignments, but also activities focused on character development and making positive choices for positive outcomes.
Haverty Lawson said middle schoolers could utilize the period for a wide range of clubs such as gardening, astronomy and science, technology, engineering, art and math. There will also be a variety of optional classes dealing with subjects such as mathematical problem solving, computer coding, foreign language and history, to broaden students’ horizons. The instructors are excited for the chance to expose middle schoolers to different topics.
“All of our staff have a club that they do,” she said.
“That’s going to be integrated here and not pull away from the general instructional time,” Haverty Lawson said. “Bottom line, we are here to educate these students in a variety of ways.”
