Vista FlexTime

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1 Vista FlexTime

2 Changes for We are excited to announce a new pilot schedule for the school year! The goal of the new schedule is to provide all students with opportunities in their school day to receive additional support, enrichment and learning opportunities.

3 Why change the schedule? We all know that Vista students are great! But what happens when they don t learn a particular concept or master a skill in the allotted time? Vista staff decided to review current research and look at what other schools are doing to better support ALL students in order to achieve content mastery of essential knowledge and skills. The answer is to provide time within the school day to better support and enrich all students. The old way of conducting school was that time was the constant and learning then became the variable. All students got the same amount of time to learn critical knowledge and skills; some students learned and some did not. Thus, learning became the variable.... the school s fundamental purpose is student learning, which is the constant. The variables then become time and support. - Susan Huff, All Things PLC Blog

4 How will this work? The bell schedule will be modified to provide 37 minutes of FlexTime three days per week in order to provide students with individualized learning. Students will still attend Advisory once each week, but that time will be shortened and moved to Mondays.

5 Weekly Schedule Monday - Advisory Tuesday - FlexTime Wednesday - NO Advisory/FlexTime - Early Release Thursday - FlexTime Friday - FlexTime

6 What will this look like at Vista? 1 st Period 8:00 9:22 2 nd Period 9:29 10:51 Advisory / FlexTime 10:58 11:35 A Lunch 11:35 12:10 3 rd Period (B Lunch) 11:42 1:04 B Lunch 1:04 1:39 3 rd Period (A Lunch) 12:17 1:39 4 th Period 1:46 3:08

7 Wednesday Schedule (Early Release): 1 st Period 8:00 9:08 2 nd Period 9:15 10:23 A Lunch 10:23 10:58 3 rd Period ( B Lunch) 10:30 11:38 B Lunch 11:38 12:13 3 rd Period ( A Lunch) 11:05 12:13 4 th Period 12:20 1:29

8 What will we do during FlexTime? Academic Support Study Halls Peer Tutoring Club Meetings Guest Speakers College/Career Prep AP Study Sessions SO many exciting possibilities...

9 What other opportunities will I have during FlexTime? Some students may choose to participate in Peer Tutoring opportunities. Peer Tutors will be needed in many subject areas to help with academic support. Students will have the opportunity to sign up for tutoring in specific subject areas and gain valuable service hours to add to their resumes and college applications. Additional incentives for Peer Tutors may also be available - such as letters of recommendations, special recognition, etc...

10 FAQ s Can students still travel during advisory? NO. The shortened advisory time on Monday will no longer allow for travel. Instead the focus in Advisory will be on building relationships between the students and their advisor. Students will now have more opportunities to meet with their teachers and receive additional support and make up assessments during FlexTime. In addition, early release Wednesdays will provide a make-up testing center for students who need to make up exams or tests. Is the focus of FlexTime on Academic Support or Enrichments? BOTH. We are developing a program that gives struggling students the support and targeted time they need, while also providing the students who have already proven mastery a chance to venture out and learn things outside of the regular classroom.

11 FAQ s Can you change your mind after Monday on what you sign up for? Not in the beginning. It will take students and staff some time to become familiar with the FlexTime schedule changes and new software program. To make it easier while we learn the program, you will sign up for FlexTime offerings during the advisory time on Mondays. As students and staff become comfortable with the program and schedule, we may have flexibility to change enrichment options after Monday. What if you re absent on Monday or forget to sign up? Students may access the software program at home and sign up for their enrichment opportunities. If a student does not sign up for their FlexTime offerings by the end of Advisory on Monday, then they will be placed into a study hall for that week.

12 FAQ s How will students be scheduled into FlexTime? We will utilize a software program that allows staff to easily schedule support and enrichment opportunities and students to quickly and easily reserve a seat. Staff will review classroom data on a regular basis to schedule students into the necessary academic supports. Students who have not been scheduled by staff for support will utilize part of their time in Advisory to view their FlexTime schedule for the week and sign-up for enrichment opportunities. What are some of the additional benefits of FlexTime? We will have the opportunity to expose students to many things they might have never been able to experience during the normal school day. FlexTime will provide time for students to participate in Science bowl, book clubs, Academic Decathlon, AP study sessions, civic engagement, mathletes, campus leadership, peer tutoring, and much, much more.

13 Next Steps Share this information with your parents & families. Visit the FlexTime website Complete the FlexTime Student Survey (on the website) by next Wednesday, 5/10.