
Approval: Implementation of the Later Start Initiative at Ridgewood High School
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood blog pulled information off the Ridgewood Schools website hoping to answer a few questions about next fall school year:
The Ridgewood Board of Education, upon the recommendation of the Interim Superintendent of Schools, approves the implementation of the Later Start Initiative at Ridgewood High School with school starting at 8:20 AM and ending at 3:05 PM with period 9 available for students until 3:30 PM. The high school administration, working with staff and students, will determine the structure for the instructional day and length of class periods within the 8:20 AM to 3:30 PM parameters. This initiative will be in place for the 2023-2024 school year.
Resolution passed: February 13, 2023
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How are you determining the new schedule? Will you solicit teacher and student feedback on a proposed schedule?
A: RHS Principal Jeff Nyhuis started speaking with faculty immediately following the BOE approval of the later start time to get their input, questions, suggestions and concerns. A survey was sent to all staff members for input as well. In addition, staff broke into groups to discuss the upcoming start time change at one of the March staff meetings.
To get student input, staff members spoke with freshmen students during Freshmen and Sophomore FOCUS, and met with 10th and 11th grade students during health classes. Students in several of these groups also received a follow-up survey on Later Start Time.
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Can you share the new proposed schedule or schedules? Will there continue to be 80 minute periods? Are 90 minute periods still being considered?
A: Several schedules are being evaluated at this time based on staff and student input.
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50-70-50 – Similar to the current 50-80-50 schedule, but with a 70-minute AM and 70-minute PM session.
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Straight 57-minute periods – Every period is a consistent 57-minutes long. Note: our AP science labs will still have a double lab period.
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Combination of 50 and 60-minute classes: AM 50-minute period (non-testing), followed by two 60-minute periods, lunch, another two 60-minutes periods, and a final PM 50-minute period (non-testing)
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80-80-60 – A combination of two 80-minute periods and three 60-minute periods throughout the day
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Will Science Labs change? How?
A: Science labs will be scheduled within the potential options listed above, however, as stated previously, AP science labs will continue to be a double period.
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Will we still have Period 9?
A: Yes, period 9 will still exist! Period 9 will run from 3:05 to 3:30PM each day.
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Will we still have Enrichment Days?
A: No, we will discontinue enrichment days.
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You mentioned at the BOE presentation, there may be teacher hours during school – if so how will that work? Will teacher hours be made available to athletes or other students that may have after school commitments during the scheduled period 9?
A: We are looking at the various ways that we can build time into the day. We are still exploring options at this time, however, ideas being explored include:
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The beginning of the day – Teachers will have a start time of 7:55AM and students will have a start time of 8:20AM. Although we don’t want this to become too scheduled so that we preserve the value of the later start, this is an option for students, for example, those returning following an illness or other absence.
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Prep periods – These 25-minute prep periods could possibly become office hours for the staff/students. Although, we understand that the student and staff schedules may not align, students will be free to see other teachers within that subject area to get extra assistance.
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How will the schedule for sports be impacted? Will the athletic department consider pushing back practice start times to accommodate period 9? There is a concern that student athletes may have to choose between seeking academic help or being late to practice.
A: Practices generally start between 3:30 and 3:45PM, depending on where the practice takes place. Although we do not want to push practice times back for next year, we are now a member of the NJ Consortium on Later Start Time and are working and speaking with other districts who have these revised schedules.
For next year, we are encouraging our students to go to period 9 if they need to. We are instructing our coaches priority 9 is a priority for students, and if a student comes with a pass that states they were at period 9, this is acceptable and encouraged. Students should only be a few minutes late if at all for any practice.
However, if the NJ Legislation on Later Start Time passes, all schools will have to push back time and do what we are doing now.
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How will students who take the bus be impacted? Bus times and what students? Will Middle School be with High School students?
A: Immediately following the BOE approval of Later Start Time, we submitted our busing tiering requests. As of now, we have not received a reply and are hopeful that this will work out. So, at this time, we are not looking at combining middle and high school busing. Right now, students will be dropped off at RHS between 8:05 and 8:10AM. Pickup time will be after 3:30PM, following period 9.
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For working parents who may drop their children off at school earlier or students who may walk and arrive early, has a zero period been considered to use the extra time in the morning for educational purposes?
A: We are evaluating several options relative to student time for extra help. Please see question 6 above. However, we currently have staff members that arrive at RHS by 7:15AM. This will shift slightly to 7:30AM, the Learning Commons and the cafeteria will be open and food services will be available for breakfast.
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Do you anticipate teacher attendance to be impacted by the change in schedule?
A: Based on current staff feedback, we do not anticipate any change in teacher attendance due to Later Start Time. We are anticipating that the later start time will assist staff with parking and getting settled before the start of school.
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Some parents may be concerned that students already have an ample amount “of free time”, especially if teachers are out and this time is combined with lunch and other free periods. Why do students have a free period when teachers are out? What is the school’s philosophy regarding substitute teachers?
A: It is very difficult to get substitutes today, however even when we did have ample substitutes, we learned that if the teachers are out, they are still planning their lessons well and most students are getting their assignments done during the window of time in which the class would take place. This seems more effective.
When a child has one or two teachers out in the same day, then yes, these students can have a block of time free. We do hope that this is rare, however when this happens, students have several spaces to elect to use for studying or eating.
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What about activities that are currently meeting before school?
A: There are certain groups or teams that meet in the morning. If that is when these groups can meet, they will be allowed to continue this practice. Although we do not want this to be a daily meeting, for those groups that meet once per week, then RHS will not discourage this practice.
Will all practices at 6am be shut down?
If 6am practices r permitted to continue, its proof the entire initiative is a scam
Just so stoopid.
They will go to bed later.
Water finds it’s own level.
I don’t know how we survived as kids……………
Waste of money. Let’s just keep lowering our standards, until there is nothing left.
The tradition of early AM athletics workouts/practices will probably not be affected. How could they be?
The focus of the RBOE mtgs was the chart presented by Ms Robinson pointing out exactly how kids need a min of 8hrs sleep….The principal sat next to her shaking his head in agreement! It’s impossible to get 8hrs of sleep with 3 hrs of homework each night and mandatory practice at 6am. Not one time was pre school practices discussed as it would have blown apart the narrative. A complete scam..let by the teachers union…
The weakening of America is coming along nicely.
It’s satisfying to see a plan come together.
Only a war would straighten us out…I think.