Bear River High has always been on the fence with our current schedule based on 6 classes and a modified block system. Recently the school voted down the idea of a 4×8 schedule that would have allowed for more elective classes to be taken.
English Teacher Kristina Stroeve gave some more information on the 4×8 schedule.
“The best element of the 4×8 bell schedule is that it offers more opportunities for students to take a variety of classes because students will take eight classes each year instead of six,” she said. “People who want to try leadership or art or Ag Mechanics and take a full college prep schedule of science, English, math, history, and Spanish [would have had] room in their days for everything.”
“Another positive of the new schedule would be having the same bell schedule as Nevada Union,” she said. “If our classes meet at the same time, it might be possible for students to take classes at other sites (Construction at Silver Springs, or Sports Medicine at Nevada Union, for example).”
Sophomore Austin Phipps had a positive opinion about the schedule.
“I feel like it [would] give us more time to pursue the classes we want,” he said.
Phipps also expressed some of his concerns about the schedule.
“[I don’t like] the fact that a lot of teachers probably wouldn’t be used to it and assign us the same amount of work even though we clearly have more classes,” he added.
Junior Tyler Schaap has similar views to the workload and class schedule.
“I think we should stick to the six classes because I switched from my last school, which had eight classes, and it was terrible,” he said. “It was too much work. If they do switch it to eight classes and you are a junior or a senior and you’re going into your next year and you only need a certain amount of classes, you shouldn’t have to fill up all eight.”
Junior Aden Mattson again stressed the workload of a 4×8 schedule.
“I don’t like the 4×8 schedule because it is a lot more work per semester.”
Mattson is currently on the fence with both the 4×8 and our current schedule suggesting a 4×4 schedule.
“I like the 4×4 schedule personally, it allows for more classes but not overloading us with work for regular students. AP students would have more work at the end because they need to study first semester, but they would be studying it on a 4×8 schedule anyways.”
Mrs. Stroeve also pointed out that students would have a lot less time in their classes.
“Since students will be fitting eight classes into the same period of time as they now take six, there will be fewer instructional minutes in each class each year.”
Mrs. Stroeve pointed out some other concerns people had that then led to the schedule not being passed.
“There were worries that this is a big change to institute well in a short amount of time; we will need to get new courses approved by our district curriculum committee as well as UC/CSUs, and we will need each student to select two more classes.”
“This might not be the best schedule to address the learning loss students may have incurred due to distance and hybrid learning this last year and a half.”
One possible main change to the schedule for next year is Bruin Time getting moved from the end of the day to happening after the first class. This will be voted on shortly.
