During the new school year at WHS, the intervention block that takes place on Wednesdays has been cut short. The intervention block is a period of time that occurs from 1:39 p.m. to 2:05 p.m. In past years, the intervention period has been about an hour long. This year, the administrative staff have decreased the period by 40 minutes. Many students utilize this time period in order to make up assessments or quizzes, receive extra help in their classes or take the extra time to study.
Due to the period losing a significant amount of time, many students are unable to utilize intervention blocks and elevate their learning experiencesFor many students, this intervention time is not enough to complete missed quizzes and tests.
Many students who stay after school struggle to find transportation to go home.Though students are able to stay after school and take the late bus, the late bus comes at 3:30pm. which is extremely unrealistic for students to stay around an hour to go home after receiving extra help.
“I think it’s not a good productivity of our time because you can’t get anything done in 25 minutes. It is unrealistic to make up a test in half of a normal period,” WHS Student Maeve O’Connor said.
Students feeling rushed to complete their tests may create feelings of stress, leading them to not perform as well.
“I’m disappointed because I liked having a full hour to meet with multiple teachers, review material for a test, and make up tests. Now, due to limited time, I can’t get everything done within the block,” WHS Student Keira Connors said.
In the old intervention block, students were able to meet with multiple teachers and get academic help in multiple subjects. Now, if you have to wait for one teacher to be available after helping other students it can take up the whole block.Another aspect that is important to note is that college fairs occur within the intervention period. These fairs are an opportunity for students to explore and engage with possible colleges. Many colleges and universities come to represent their school and take questions from interested students. Due to the shortened period, if you are needing academic help it is very likely you may not have time to attend the college fair. The college fair is a great resource available to all students, but these limitations have made it hard to attend.
