<p>Yup, true block, only 4 classes a semester each receiving a full credit. When a class is only a 1/2 credit (drivers ed and health) they take one for the first 9 weeks and then the other. D2 finished health yesterday and will start drivers ed today.</p>
<p>Teachers like it, students like it (less homework since there is time to do the work in class and the fine arts love the extra studio/practice time) but some parents don’t. A committee was formed to explore other options so we’ll see what happens. Hopefully the ones that have to live it everyday will have more weight than a parent who doesn’t like that Johnny spends 96-100 minutes in band every day.</p>
<p>We have block scheduling with classes lasting only a semester, but most of the AP classes being either a double block, or a block-and-a-half (has to start first semester to finish in time, but they don’t want the kids to forget everything before the exam…) which makes scheduling gross.</p>
<p>I don’t like semester block scheduling because of the loss of continuity. It can easily be a year between taking a class and its successor if you happen to have it first semester one year and then second semester the next year. For things like math and foreign language, this is particularly problematic, IMO.</p>
<p>Our kids get the block effect of having longer time in class but not the break of continuity of a true block system. I really like it.</p>
<p>Yeah, I would like your system better BI.</p>
<p>Mathmom~the continuity is a problem. College entrance exams are also a problem as in the case of both my daughters, D2 just took the psat but hasn’t been in a math class since May! We saw D1’s math scores increase substantially between the tests she took during a non math semester to the tests she took during a math semester.</p>
<p>BI~I like the way your school does the block system and it would work well here, but there are parents that want to go back to the “old school” of 8 periods a day, same classes everyday all year.</p>
<p>Homework is a nightmare when you see every teacher every day. The modified block is the way to go…really. Someone should suggest that if they insist on a change. I have no dog in the race obviously, lol, but really, I would not want to go back to that system of hw for every instructor every night. With AP classes it’s just not fair…</p>
<p>Well, fair aside (because really they don’t care about fair) it’s not the most effective way to instruct the kids and get what the teachers want which is high completion of their assignments and scores on their tests which ultimately reflect on them.</p>
<p>There’s an unexpected expense with either the old-school way or the alternating days of long blocks, and that’s textbooks. If you have two sections of a class, one first semester and one second semester, you only need one set of textbooks. If you have two full-year sections, you need two. Our school considered altering their scheduling, and that was one of the things that came up. They considered some hybrids where some classes would be a half-block all year, but that never really came to pass. </p>
<p>They do math review for kids not in a math semester before the standardized tests that matter to the school (for NCLB purposes) but not for the ones that matter to the kids (SAT, PSAT, etc.)</p>
<p>Our kids have access to in class sets of books and online versions. They don’t have books for every class anymore.</p>
<p>Assuming that the school pays for access to the online version for its students, if the fees are dependent on how many students have access, the same issue might apply. If it’s a flat rate of course, that’s different.</p>
<p>That I don’t know. I think it’s flat as there is not a specific code to each student but an open link made available on the classroom website. I could be wrong as the school may pay for that link based on enrollment.</p>
<p>Goodness, bumping from page 5. Happy Monday to all. Hope everyone survived PSATs last week for the schools that give these to soph’s. Various Homecomings are in full swing here. S3 didn’t go to his, was invited to his base school’s but the invite-or now has a conflict. S3 is going to attend the conflicting event with his ‘friend’ (a girl who is not a gf, but not just a friend…too complicated for this mom! I’ve threatened to call her his ‘special friend’ to which he about died!!). He had little interest in Homecoming anyway, let alone his base school (which he’s never attended), so this works out fine.</p>
<p>blueiguana: My son is not attending his homecoming for a laundry list of reasons. A. New to the school, so he does not know many people. B. He has ACTs in the morning (his decision to take them, not mine), so he will be tired. C. The Tennessee-Alabama football game is on, and he does not want to miss it. (ROLL TIDE!)</p>
<p>Speaking of APs, my son loves regular chemistry so much that he plans to take the AP chem, which is all year, as a senior. He could do it as a junior, but he already has AB/BC, which is all year, APUSH and AP English Language set. We also have AP Bio all year, but he did not enjoy biology as much as chem – not enough math. No wonder he looks forward to taking physics as a junior.</p>
<p>Our homecoming has come and gone. It was much earlier than usual, mid-September! Although it did make for nice weather :)</p>
<p>Momreads~love that son is missing homecoming so he can watch the game! D1 is a freshman at UA and is looking forward to attending the game. Roll Tide Roll!! :)</p>
<p>momreads - I love it! A boy after my own heart. How about the Cavs this weekend? What a game! 
Fun, unexpected win for their h’coming vs. GT! We are headed w/ S3 to the game this weekend vs NCState. Should be great fun. My son would gladly take AP Bio and trade AP Chem, although he likes physics, go figure? Chem just isn’t a great subject at our school. I’ve never heard of anyone liking it, tolerating it is more the norm.</p>
<p>I have a gf whose DD is a freshman at bama and in the marching band, so I’ll join you momreads & Bamamomof3 in the chorus of Roll Tide!! :)</p>
<p>Our homecoming was mid-Sept, too. D2 went; her date was a senior. She had a good time in spite of the new principal’s dance restrictions (face to face, leave some space). I believe, though, they left the dance early to go play flashlight tag at another friend’s house.</p>
<p>Found us on page 5!</p>
<p>D2 is marching at an out of town football game tonight. I’m worried since the temperature has dropped so drastically. She is allergic to the cold and I worry since her mellophone conducts cold so well! Hopefully she’ll make it through the game and I won’t have to go get her.</p>
<p>Reports cards came home this week for the first nine week term. She did well in 3 of her classes (A+). We were disappointed in her APUSH grade (C+). Told her she had until the semester grade to pull it up or she would lose her phone and facebook. The grade itself isn’t what bothered me, but that she wasn’t putting in much effort. She knew it was the toughest class a sophomore is allowed to take. Told her if we had seen her studying and working and knew it was the best she could do it would have been acceptable. But that wasn’t the case.</p>
<p>BI~thanks for the Roll Tide! D1 is looking forward to the game tomorrow. I found a cute hounds tooth fleece pullover at Old Navy for $8. She can’t wait to wear it to the game since it will definitely be cool enough!</p>
<p>Hope everyone is doing well!</p>
<p>Whoot-whoot on the houndstooth pullover BamaMom!! How cute! I had everything all set for the UVa game tomorrow and found out it’s a ‘pink out’ for breast cancer month. Thank goodness for target! I found a cute hot pink ls tshirt to put under my new white UVa sweater and I’m good to go! Thank goodness the sweater wasn’t orange! I would have had to really change plans! S3 has said he will not be wearing pink. When he sees the other kids he may change his mind and we’ll head over to the bookstore. His current plan is a new black Halloween UVa t so he might stick out at bit. :eek: He’s very excited to see his older brother.</p>
<p>I totally get you on the grade. APUSH is a killer and normally taken by Jr’s here. You understand a lower grade if you see the effort going in. If not, it is very frustrating. This grade may be the acceptable wake up call she needs to get into gear for a higher semester grade. Sending you zen thoughts while she works it out!</p>
<p>Shockingly, DS is getting an A- in APUSH. I have posted before that kids that are way smarter than my kid avoid advanced classes. There is only one section of APUSH which has to be taken with Honors Eng. (so only about 8% of sophomores are getting H. English) Because of the 1 section DS had a schedule conflict and chose APUSH. </p>
<p>Anyway…he loves it. He really studies and his buddy found a bunch of the helper websites with practice tests and essay questions etc. He has gotten to know new kids that he was never “clustered” with before. I had heard many horror stories and I am so relieved now.</p>
<p>Now I am hoping he continues with the studying and will do well on the test in May.</p>