Senior free periods - APS

[Anonymous]

Is this a thing of the past? My kid has been told my two people that their college counselor said no free periods if you want to look good on applications. We aren't talking Ivy dreams here. What are you seeing at YT, WL & Wake?

[Anonymous]

The APS course catalog offers “Independent Study.” Students with free periods have sometimes devised a course of study on a topic that interests them.

Tutoring ELL students is another possibility. Or take a Career Center Course (takes up two periods).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The APS course catalog offers “Independent Study.” Students with free periods have sometimes devised a course of study on a topic that interests them.

Tutoring ELL students is another possibility. Or take a Career Center Course (takes up two periods).

Good luck with that.
We were unable to do that at WHS, even for one semester when there was no semester-long offerings available to fit our kid's schedule.
I also have never heard "free period" or "zero period" uttered anywhere in WHS. There is AP Consult, available only to students taking an AP course. And, after a certain date and with parental permission, students can leave campus during "senior project" class - but are supposed to be using that time toward their project.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The APS course catalog offers “Independent Study.” Students with free periods have sometimes devised a course of study on a topic that interests them.

Tutoring ELL students is another possibility. Or take a Career Center Course (takes up two periods).

These really aren't "free periods." That's what OP is asking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The APS course catalog offers “Independent Study.” Students with free periods have sometimes devised a course of study on a topic that interests them.

Tutoring ELL students is another possibility. Or take a Career Center Course (takes up two periods).

Good luck with that.
We were unable to do that at WHS, even for one semester when there was no semester-long offerings available to fit our kid's schedule.
I also have never heard "free period" or "zero period" uttered anywhere in WHS. There is AP Consult, available only to students taking an AP course. And, after a certain date and with parental permission, students can leave campus during "senior project" class - but are supposed to be using that time toward their project.

Doing Independent Study at Wakefield might be trickier logistically since everyone does Senior Project.

[Anonymous]

Yorktown definitely has a free period options for seniors and they require the parents sign a permission slip. It's either during the first of last period of the day. They don't need to be at school.

Does taking a free period now, though, make the students look like slackers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The APS course catalog offers “Independent Study.” Students with free periods have sometimes devised a course of study on a topic that interests them.

Tutoring ELL students is another possibility. Or take a Career Center Course (takes up two periods).

A free period here is for a student wanting to have 6 out of 7 slots filled in their schedule, not trying to put something in the last spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The APS course catalog offers “Independent Study.” Students with free periods have sometimes devised a course of study on a topic that interests them.

Tutoring ELL students is another possibility. Or take a Career Center Course (takes up two periods).

Good luck with that.
We were unable to do that at WHS, even for one semester when there was no semester-long offerings available to fit our kid's schedule.
I also have never heard "free period" or "zero period" uttered anywhere in WHS. There is AP Consult, available only to students taking an AP course. And, after a certain date and with parental permission, students can leave campus during "senior project" class - but are supposed to be using that time toward their project.

Doing Independent Study at Wakefield might be trickier logistically since everyone does Senior Project.

Why does that make it logistically trickier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The APS course catalog offers “Independent Study.” Students with free periods have sometimes devised a course of study on a topic that interests them.

Tutoring ELL students is another possibility. Or take a Career Center Course (takes up two periods).

Good luck with that.
We were unable to do that at WHS, even for one semester when there was no semester-long offerings available to fit our kid's schedule.
I also have never heard "free period" or "zero period" uttered anywhere in WHS. There is AP Consult, available only to students taking an AP course. And, after a certain date and with parental permission, students can leave campus during "senior project" class - but are supposed to be using that time toward their project.

Doing Independent Study at Wakefield might be trickier logistically since everyone does Senior Project.

Why does that make it logistically trickier?

^ and not every takes Senior Project as a class. Students taking AP Research can/usually use that as their senior project. Other students can select "senior project" for a one semester class, or even choose to do the entire project outside of any class period.

[Anonymous]

At W&L they call it a Flex period and a lot of seniors do it, including my own. My kid is taking 5 AP/IB, one regular elective, and a Flex. When they sign up the parents have to sign a form approving it. You can request an am Flex or a pm Flex. In our case, my son did a PM flex because I wanted him using that time to study for his other classes, not just sleep in every other day. Also, my son plays a sport so it gives him time every other day to work on homework instead of going directly to practice/game. I'm sure if you're aiming for Ivies or other top schools, it's not advised, but my kid is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At W&L they call it a Flex period and a lot of seniors do it, including my own. My kid is taking 5 AP/IB, one regular elective, and a Flex. When they sign up the parents have to sign a form approving it. You can request an am Flex or a pm Flex. In our case, my son did a PM flex because I wanted him using that time to study for his other classes, not just sleep in every other day. Also, my son plays a sport so it gives him time every other day to work on homework instead of going directly to practice/game. I'm sure if you're aiming for Ivies or other top schools, it's not advised, but my kid is not.

Doesn't seem to be a thing at WHS. Neither of my kids or their counselors have ever mentioned or suggested it, even senior year when one was struggling to fill-up their schedule.

[Anonymous]

I have 2 kids at W-L with a flex period. One has it instead of a class, the other has it in addition to 7 classes since they take one class before school each day (called Zero period). It works really well for both of them.

[Anonymous]

My senior has a free period too, but like PP, already has 7 classes. They just got into their top choice college which is not Ivy level, but very selective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At W&L they call it a Flex period and a lot of seniors do it, including my own. My kid is taking 5 AP/IB, one regular elective, and a Flex. When they sign up the parents have to sign a form approving it. You can request an am Flex or a pm Flex. In our case, my son did a PM flex because I wanted him using that time to study for his other classes, not just sleep in every other day. Also, my son plays a sport so it gives him time every other day to work on homework instead of going directly to practice/game. I'm sure if you're aiming for Ivies or other top schools, it's not advised, but my kid is not.

Doesn't seem to be a thing at WHS. Neither of my kids or their counselors have ever mentioned or suggested it, even senior year when one was struggling to fill-up their schedule.

WHS has AP Consult. It’s pass-fail, so it isn’t a completely free period. It is as an AP study hall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My senior has a free period too, but like PP, already has 7 classes. They just got into their top choice college which is not Ivy level, but very selective.

Your point?