Wilson HS: New Free Period Policy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It says kids will be kicked out of the library if they don’t follow the rules, then where will they go?
Also to the pp with younger kids who asked why do they have a free period? Seniors at all DCPS schools usually have multiple free periods. It is weird but that’s what it is. Kids can usually fulfill almost all the graduation requirements by junior year. I knew a senior last year who had 3 free periods and didn’t come to school until lunch.

Free periods are normal in high school, kids get time to do some of their homework. It's particularly important for kids who play sports or work. What's not normal is the extent that Wilson has frees. At many schools senior year is academically rigorous; colleges are looking at transcripts at least into late winter.

What I've heard is that Wilson tacitly encourages seniors to have half day schedules because there isn't the physical capacity in the building for all of the students to be in class at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It says kids will be kicked out of the library if they don’t follow the rules, then where will they go?
Also to the pp with younger kids who asked why do they have a free period? Seniors at all DCPS schools usually have multiple free periods. It is weird but that’s what it is. Kids can usually fulfill almost all the graduation requirements by junior year. I knew a senior last year who had 3 free periods and didn’t come to school until lunch.

Free periods are normal in high school, kids get time to do some of their homework. It's particularly important for kids who play sports or work. What's not normal is the extent that Wilson has frees. At many schools senior year is academically rigorous; colleges are looking at transcripts at least into late winter.

What I've heard is that Wilson tacitly encourages seniors to have half day schedules because there isn't the physical capacity in the building for all of the students to be in class at the same time.

DP: That's truly disturbing!

[Anonymous]

I haven't heard of any students not getting the full schedule they need for college prep though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't heard of any students not getting the full schedule they need for college prep though.

Their job is to educate kids 8:30-3:00, not just meet some college's minimu requirements!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It says kids will be kicked out of the library if they don’t follow the rules, then where will they go?
Also to the pp with younger kids who asked why do they have a free period? Seniors at all DCPS schools usually have multiple free periods. It is weird but that’s what it is. Kids can usually fulfill almost all the graduation requirements by junior year. I knew a senior last year who had 3 free periods and didn’t come to school until lunch.

Free periods are normal in high school, kids get time to do some of their homework. It's particularly important for kids who play sports or work. What's not normal is the extent that Wilson has frees. At many schools senior year is academically rigorous; colleges are looking at transcripts at least into late winter.

What I've heard is that Wilson tacitly encourages seniors to have half day schedules because there isn't the physical capacity in the building for all of the students to be in class at the same time.

No, it is not normal in this region. Look at MCPS. Some parents there beg for a study hall (not a ‘free period’) for their kids and can’t get one - unless the child has special needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It says kids will be kicked out of the library if they don’t follow the rules, then where will they go?
Also to the pp with younger kids who asked why do they have a free period? Seniors at all DCPS schools usually have multiple free periods. It is weird but that’s what it is. Kids can usually fulfill almost all the graduation requirements by junior year. I knew a senior last year who had 3 free periods and didn’t come to school until lunch.

Free periods are normal in high school, kids get time to do some of their homework. It's particularly important for kids who play sports or work. What's not normal is the extent that Wilson has frees. At many schools senior year is academically rigorous; colleges are looking at transcripts at least into late winter.

What I've heard is that Wilson tacitly encourages seniors to have half day schedules because there isn't the physical capacity in the building for all of the students to be in class at the same time.

No, it is not normal in this region. Look at MCPS. Some parents there beg for a study hall (not a ‘free period’) for their kids and can’t get one - unless the child has special needs.

MCPS allows seniors who have met their graduation requirements to come in on a part day schedule. There's no study hall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It says kids will be kicked out of the library if they don’t follow the rules, then where will they go?
Also to the pp with younger kids who asked why do they have a free period? Seniors at all DCPS schools usually have multiple free periods. It is weird but that’s what it is. Kids can usually fulfill almost all the graduation requirements by junior year. I knew a senior last year who had 3 free periods and didn’t come to school until lunch.

Free periods are normal in high school, kids get time to do some of their homework. It's particularly important for kids who play sports or work. What's not normal is the extent that Wilson has frees. At many schools senior year is academically rigorous; colleges are looking at transcripts at least into late winter.

What I've heard is that Wilson tacitly encourages seniors to have half day schedules because there isn't the physical capacity in the building for all of the students to be in class at the same time.

No, it is not normal in this region. Look at MCPS. Some parents there beg for a study hall (not a ‘free period’) for their kids and can’t get one - unless the child has special needs.

MCPS allows seniors who have met their graduation requirements to come in on a part day schedule. There's no study hall.

They don't have random free periods in the middle of the day. You are either in school, or you are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It says kids will be kicked out of the library if they don’t follow the rules, then where will they go?
Also to the pp with younger kids who asked why do they have a free period? Seniors at all DCPS schools usually have multiple free periods. It is weird but that’s what it is. Kids can usually fulfill almost all the graduation requirements by junior year. I knew a senior last year who had 3 free periods and didn’t come to school until lunch.

Free periods are normal in high school, kids get time to do some of their homework. It's particularly important for kids who play sports or work. What's not normal is the extent that Wilson has frees. At many schools senior year is academically rigorous; colleges are looking at transcripts at least into late winter.

What I've heard is that Wilson tacitly encourages seniors to have half day schedules because there isn't the physical capacity in the building for all of the students to be in class at the same time.

DP: That's truly disturbing!

No, what's "truly disturbing" is yours and others' knee-jerk reaction to an unfounded, passing comment. You've just responded as if that is the actual truth from a credible source. Please work on your critical thinking and reading skills.

[Anonymous]

I’d be really concerned that a school wasn’t encouraging my student to take extra electives and gave students multiple free periods.

My school only allowed one free period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It says kids will be kicked out of the library if they don’t follow the rules, then where will they go?
Also to the pp with younger kids who asked why do they have a free period? Seniors at all DCPS schools usually have multiple free periods. It is weird but that’s what it is. Kids can usually fulfill almost all the graduation requirements by junior year. I knew a senior last year who had 3 free periods and didn’t come to school until lunch.

Free periods are normal in high school, kids get time to do some of their homework. It's particularly important for kids who play sports or work. What's not normal is the extent that Wilson has frees. At many schools senior year is academically rigorous; colleges are looking at transcripts at least into late winter.

What I've heard is that Wilson tacitly encourages seniors to have half day schedules because there isn't the physical capacity in the building for all of the students to be in class at the same time.

DP: That's truly disturbing!

No, what's "truly disturbing" is yours and others' knee-jerk reaction to an unfounded, passing comment. You've just responded as if that is the actual truth from a credible source. Please work on your critical thinking and reading skills.

Also, what happens in Maryland is obviously not the policy of DCPS. Compare to other DCPS high schools and tell us again, how many children you have again at Wilson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It says kids will be kicked out of the library if they don’t follow the rules, then where will they go?
Also to the pp with younger kids who asked why do they have a free period? Seniors at all DCPS schools usually have multiple free periods. It is weird but that’s what it is. Kids can usually fulfill almost all the graduation requirements by junior year. I knew a senior last year who had 3 free periods and didn’t come to school until lunch.

Free periods are normal in high school, kids get time to do some of their homework. It's particularly important for kids who play sports or work. What's not normal is the extent that Wilson has frees. At many schools senior year is academically rigorous; colleges are looking at transcripts at least into late winter.

What I've heard is that Wilson tacitly encourages seniors to have half day schedules because there isn't the physical capacity in the building for all of the students to be in class at the same time.

No, it is not normal in this region. Look at MCPS. Some parents there beg for a study hall (not a ‘free period’) for their kids and can’t get one - unless the child has special needs.

MCPS allows seniors who have met their graduation requirements to come in on a part day schedule. There's no study hall.

They don't have random free periods in the middle of the day. You are either in school, or you are not.

The guidance counselors do their best to get kids into classes that meet consecutive periods, but sometimes if you want classes that don't have a lot of sections, then yes you can end up with a midday free period. Some kids will then choose an elective for that slot, but some won't.

[Anonymous]

What about the kids (or classes) that actually need to use the library for its intended purpose? I guarantee you that the librarian has better things to do than babysit a bunch of kids. It sounds to me like this policy will basically make the library unusable as anything other than a study hall.

[Anonymous]

Wilson and other DC high schools actively encourage seniors to take fewer courses and not be in the building. I am a teacher at a DCPS HS and I have had a counselor walk into my class my class multiple times in September, October and even November and tell a student they can drop the class because they don’t need any more credits to graduate. They tell the kids they can have a free period instead. Of course, the student then drops the class. Not really sure why counselors and admin encourage taking the minimal course load but they do. I have never been able to get a straight answer from them about why they do this. At PD, I have heard teachers at many different schools say this happens to them too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wilson and other DC high schools actively encourage seniors to take fewer courses and not be in the building. I am a teacher at a DCPS HS and I have had a counselor walk into my class my class multiple times in September, October and even November and tell a student they can drop the class because they don’t need any more credits to graduate. They tell the kids they can have a free period instead. Of course, the student then drops the class. Not really sure why counselors and admin encourage taking the minimal course load but they do. I have never been able to get a straight answer from them about why they do this. At PD, I have heard teachers at many different schools say this happens to them too.

This is really quite sad. A study hall or library time a few time a week is a great idea, but telling kids to drop classes that they have been interested enough to enroll in is just plain rude and runs contrary to the concept of a comprehensive education.

[Anonymous]

At my high school, the free period is something of a placeholder for any make-up classes the student may need. I have a number of eleventh graders who will definitely need to retake a few core classes to graduate.