FCPS high school question - advisory/Study hall/non academic class period

[Anonymous]

How is your school handling the free period out of the 8 classes?

Please let me know the school name, how the time is divided and how it’s spent.

I’ll start:

Madison in Vienna

The period is now divided into 3 sections.

1. 25 minutes of advisory where “it is a place to build positive relationships.”

2. 25 minutes of Warhawk time where students will have a “variety of activities to be engaged in during this time”

3. 33 minutes of Return Period - additional academic time with your teachers, one period each class. For example, day one, you go to first period. Day 3 (as advisory is on alternate days), you will go to second period. Day 5, you go to 3rd period, etc. In about 23 days, you’ll have 33 minutes with each teacher, whether that’s a class you need extra help with or not.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Robinson:

37 minutes advisory (homeroom/SEL lessons/community building - students will stay with the same teacher until they graduate)

49 minutes "RAISE" (study hall/students can visit teachers for extra help if they have a pass to do so)

[Anonymous]

Oh Madison parent... let it go.

[Anonymous]

Don’t know. Don’t particularly care. My kid is a senior and I assume she has it under control unless I see evidence she doesn’t.

[Anonymous]

The new advisory period is a county wide requirement. Seems there is some leeway in how schools implement it, but it has to be there in some form. Nobody I know likes the change.

[Anonymous]

I think Oakton HS has it divided into 2 sections. All I know is that it seems overly complicated to have to switch classrooms in the middle of a "study hall" period. But that's only on SOME days, other days they will be in Advisory the entire time (like today). and the rotating of the class you go to seems extremely confusing for no good reason. But, I am not even going to pretend to understand the methods or the reasoning...as long as i don't get a phone call that my kid didn't show up, I figure he's got it under control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh Madison parent... let it go.

Hey, I am interested. I have to teach “advisor at my school.” ( We have return or spiral periods as a separate thing). Admin. will often send us slideshows and information we need to give them. Some teachers make a big deal if it and add in their own activities. Personally, they and I need a break, so we just do whatever quietly. I don’t believe in structuring every minute of a teenager’s life. Right now, they are at lunch, BTW, so no I am not slacking during teaching time.

[Anonymous]

Can I just say that my senior is both stressed and depressed about this change. They used to have this period every day to get help if they needed it, for club meetings, or to just take a break with their friends if there was nowhere else they needed to be. Now this planned “wellness” time is doing the exact opposite and creating stress. It is taking away time to seek help with academics, participate in clubs they enjoy, an relax.

[Anonymous]

The Mclean "Highlander Time" is now split into two segments (with "transit time" in the middle). The two segments rotate across the 7 classes, "Advisory," and "Flex" (which is basically "kid's choice").

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The new advisory period is a county wide requirement. Seems there is some leeway in how schools implement it, but it has to be there in some form. Nobody I know likes the change.

An "advisory" period that is a study hall or a time when kids can seek help from teachers is not a problem. A kumbaya moment is...

[Anonymous]

It's a disaster. This used to be the period to go get help in whatever class they needed it or do make-up tests. Now it's all structured and confusing and an absolute waste of time. Marshall HS, btw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a disaster. This used to be the period to go get help in whatever class they needed it or do make-up tests. Now it's all structured and confusing and an absolute waste of time. Marshall HS, btw.

I also have a very frustrated Marshall kid. He used to be able to get help from teachers every day, now he has to play games instead? He works after school to pay for college. How is he supposed to get help now? Who exactly is this benefiting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a disaster. This used to be the period to go get help in whatever class they needed it or do make-up tests. Now it's all structured and confusing and an absolute waste of time. Marshall HS, btw.

It’s like that where I work. I hate it. The kids have to have a complicated pass signed 24 hours in advance (or something like that) if they want to move classrooms during The return period. Teachers also have to give up part of their planning periods to stand in the halls and shuffle kids along to their classrooms after the bell has rung. I suppose it does keep loitering down to a minimum and covers our asses on the legal front, but it feels restrictive.

[Anonymous]

Yikes. I’m a HS teacher and the kids hate advisory. It’s a waste of time. They would hate losing 25 minutes of study hall to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yikes. I’m a HS teacher and the kids hate advisory. It’s a waste of time. They would hate losing 25 minutes of study hall to that.

Well, they are going to. Next year it’s required every other day.