Magnolia High School adopts a new year-round schedule

EL DORADO, Ark. (KTVE/KARD) — Magnolia High School has adopted a new year-round schedule. The schedule is unique to what the school feels like they need. The teachers and students were experiencing fatigue throughout the semester. The school then decided to come up with a plan to allow breaks more frequently throughout the year. KTVE/KARD spoke with superintendent John Ward about how the schedule works.

The way ours works out it is about a one week break every 5 weeks or so. So, we are in week four and our first break is coming up next week. And teachers, kids, parents seem to all be looking forward to that break. And I think it’s coming at a great time. Instead of in our first week of school, we are in like I said our fourth week. All of our routines have been established and everything is rolling.

John Ward

A month in to school, six to eight weeks in to school, there were teachers, kids both starting to experience some burnout and just needed a break. So, we started looking at some options to play around with a year-round calendar to where we could offer our kids and our teachers a break more frequently throughout the year

John Ward

The goal is to keep everyone fresh and ready as the year progresses. School can be draining on everyone involved. Teachers get a big boost to their teaching strategies also. The breaks will help them alter their lesson plans as the year goes.

It gives the teachers an opportunity to kind of gather their thoughts, what’s worked, what’s not worked. Kind of get a game plan, get a refresh, get a little break. And then come back, come back strong.

John Ward

The schedule is something that is in play for right now and can be altered as the year goes on. During the break next week, there will be a survey for students and teachers to see how everyone is feeling about the new schedule. As the year progresses, there will be other surveys to continue to check in on the morale of everyone involved. In February, Magnolia High School typically adopts their calendar. Going forward, John Ward hopes that this schedule will continue to be the plan for years to come.