By Maggie Dale
Mount Vernon High School implemented a modified block schedule this year to address the needs of students. While Mondays through Wednesdays run a seven period schedule, Thursday and Friday have four block periods, allowing for an extra period of work time on Fridays. “I love having the eighth block because I can get a lot of school work done. I wouldn’t change anything about it!” said freshman Reilly Gross. Eighth block, otherwise known as Multi-Tiered Support System, or MTSS, overall has been a success its first semester at Mount Vernon High School. Gross added, “I use the eighth block for homework, retaking a quiz, finishing a project, or meeting with a teacher.”
Theresa Gruber-Miller has made good use of her MTSS time, since as a senior she has experienced three years of high school without it. “I often use MTSS time to rehearse with music ensembles and practicing trumpet and voice. I also use it for making up assignments, discussing papers with teachers, and filling out college applications. I like having eighth block because it allows students to have time during the school day to have questions answered and receive help on things they are struggling with or need to make up. Before we had eighth block, students would have to find time in their schedule to come in before or after school which was sometimes difficult because so many of us are involved in other activities outside of school.”
Junior Noelle Ossenkop said that she uses MTSS for numerous things, including doing Pre-Calc and Anatomy retakes, working on homework with other people, and working on group projects. “I like having eighth block for doing retakes and group projects. It is also a nice time for groups to meet, like prom committee. It’s convenient to not have to come into school early or stay late to do those things.”
“I love the 8th block!” said sophomore Paige Zaruba. “It’s so nice to be able to go into my classes and redo tests or papers, or just get help with something. I wouldn’t change anything- it’s good the way it is! I think it’s very beneficial for me and a lot of my friends,” she said.
Freshman Kole Blackwell agreed, saying that he loves having eighth block to work on homework or get help when he needs it, and he wouldn’t change anything about it.
Some students like having eighth block as a time to simply relax, take a break from the extended class periods, and work at their own pace. “Block schedule is long and tedious, so MTSS is a nice time to relax a little,” said junior Breanna Jones.
Laura Adrian, also a junior, agreed, saying it’s not only a good time to work on homework but also to de-stress after 85 minutes of Pre-Calc.
However, not everything students have to say about eighth block is positive. Ossenkop said, “…It is beneficial, but sometimes when I don’t have any school work to do it is very boring and I wish I could just go home. If I don’t have any school work to do then I just hang out with my friends and play cards…. If I could change anything about eighth block, I would let juniors leave as well as seniors. That way, if there is no schoolwork to do, then we don’t have to sit around and try to kill time.”
That was the major complaint among juniors with the new schedule. “It’s fine, I just don’t have classes that have a lot of homework, but if I did I’d get more use out of it,” said junior Jack Edaburn. Seniors are allowed to leave the school during the MTSS time.
Senior Ryan Williams uses the extra time at the end of the day on Fridays to go work for the school district as a technology aid or go home.
Gruber-Miller thinks that teachers try to cram too many things into the MTSS time on Fridays. “I dislike that teachers use MTSS as a catch all, meaning that they shove everything that students need help on to the end of the week,” said Gruber-Miller. However, she does feel it is a useful time period, but would suggest structuring it a little differently. “Not allowing much time during the beginning or middle of the week can make students fall behind and miss assignment deadlines or turn in work that would be better if they had the time before the assignment was due to meet with teachers. I would change eight block by breaking it up into two 40-minute sessions having one on Tuesday or Wednesday and leave the other on Friday.”
Principal Steve Brand states that the purpose of the block schedule is to maximize time. He wrote in a letter to parents, “MVHS strives to find new, creative, and innovative methods to maximize time and provide our students with the best possible structure to maximize achievement.” It seems that overall, students feel this is the right track.
