To start out the new school year WHS has put an advisory period into the middle of the day after lunch to give students a time to study and keep up with academic work.
Advisory period is a 23-minute period (12:14 to 12:37) during which students are assigned to an advisory teacher to check grades, complete academic work and hold organization meetings. This is also not the first time the school has had an advisory period within the day. An advisory time was included in the school day for seven years through 2017. Seniors recall having advisory in their schedule when they were in sixth grade. In 2018, when the district became a four day school week, advisory time was dropped.
“We decided to bring it back because it is a built-in study hall and it gives accountability by having teachers check on their grades and their attendance,” Principal Danny Morrison said.
“Advisory was added to give students time to both complete assignments while at school and to receive extra help from their teacher while they are here at school. It also helps avoid missing out on class time to meet with different groups and teams,” assistant principal Nathan Parker said.
The advisory time has many helpful benefits for the students.
“It’s nice and gives me time to prepare and study,” freshman Maya Daughenbaugh said.
The teachers have seen what good advisory is for students.
“It gives time for kids to catch up on their late work,” history teacher Nathan Copling said.
Having kids being very active during this advisory hour has shown Copling that advisory is beneficial to the work environment.
“Advisory has affected the schedules in a positive way. We are having less time in each class, but in the long run I believe that the majority of our students will see the positive impact,” math teacher Amelia Smith said.
Students have enjoyed having advisory, making it easier for students to make up or do any work they need done. Teachers stick to a schedule to keep students on task during advisory. Tuesday is grade check day and students stay with their advisory teachers, Wednesday is study hall day, Thursday is a day for students to request time with specific teachers for needed help or study hall if no help is needed and Friday is a day reserved for organization meetings.
Some students think advisory is taken seriously.
“Some students take advisory seriously and the other half only use it to talk to their friends,” sophomore Hayley Boley said.
Some students don’t think advisory is taken seriously.
¨If you have a friend they might ask you questions and then it can get you off topic and then when you get back to doing your work the time is already over,¨sophomore Evan Lomax said.
The teachers find something for the students if they don’t have homework.
“People always at least have a book to read in my class so they will never not have something to do,” English teacher Teresa Arcisz said.