HHS extending school hours next year?
So my kids came home crying about the high school extending the school day by one hour next year. Anyone hear any truth to that?
JB400 Was there anything in the board minutes? I would think if hours were to change it would need to be in there.
3wbdwnj 
crazy jane From my high school student, the discussion presented is that school will end at 2:48 instead of 2:33. Changes during the day are 1st block will be 53 minutes block 2 and 6 will be 80 minutes the rest of the blocks will be 50 minutes
Doesn’t seem like cause for crying
ImOnSaxton
Nosila That just makes it harder for athletes that have to leave at a certain time for away games.
Metsman My kids aren't even in elementary school yet, but based on my high school experience, two 80 minute classes a day sounds awful.
Smilingbecs All Math and Language Arts classes at GMMS are 74 minutes long ( double period) so many of the kids should be used to it.
sportsfan 
Acl76 Yeah Muttsman, that should be the school’s major concern.
Really?
Still no clue, huh?
Stymie Right Metsman....because high school athletics should be the top priority for our school systems.
Walleyed Stymie, I'm merely stating that they'll miss more class time if they have to leave around 2. I do have a clue. And I've obviously done a good job as a parent because I have two kids in college. My son has an associates degree from CCM and got a huge scholarship from a D1 school to play baseball. My daughter juggles work and college and helps us out with her little sister 2 days a week. How about you go troll somewhere else.
Walleyed, because student athletes don't matter right.... If you're not keeping a good balance for all students then that is ridiculous. If they want to extend the school day then start at 7:30.
I agree with Mets and rather than put them out by denying class time, the schools should just stop team sports altogether and use the freed-up time for real scholastic endeavors. I am so tired of people getting a free ride just because they can throw a ball.
Strangerdanger SD how are you getting a free ride at a public high school playing a sport? You'll have to explain that one for me... As far as college goes, they make money off of athletes. And why would you want to eliminate extracurricular activities? There's more to life than being book smart. Sports promote physical fitness and the ability to work with others as a team.
SD,
"people getting a free ride...……"
Are you really disparaging kids you've never met, whose intellect you've judged, whose character you've slandered time and again just because of your hatred of Metsman and student-athletes?
Student-athletes,
Keep working hard on your dual duties. You have a work capacity that exceeds that of your critics.
The high school and district have more problems than extending school hours. Both are suffering under incompetent leadership and a constituency that does not seem to care.
Deal If the day is extended by 15 minutes that doesn't seem excessive.
Did a bit of bell schedule research to compare local HS-
Warren Hills 7:35-2:18
North Warren 7:35-2:20
West Morris 7:35-2:35
HHS 7:50-2:33 (new 2:48)
With that said, it's not about the amount of time spent in school, but what is being done with the time that really matters.
hktownie hktownie look at the start times for those other schools. That is what our towns should be as well. No reason to make school later in the day.
Don Wow Jim, get a room. Mets can cover. Actually, I thought that was a first for me; the student part not the Mets part ;-). Please recognize I fault the system and all of us who support it, not the student athletes who play games in return for a free academic ride.
If you put football or baseball on a tax referendum, do you really think it would pass on a line item vote for those expenses that only profit a select few? I mean I love to watch a HHS game on a crisp fall night. It’s Americana at its best. But if I looked at the price tag......
Yes Mets, I think playing a game that gets you an academic scholarship to be a free ride. Especially since certain sports get them, others don’t. I also think schools making money off said “students,” while simultaneously forbidding them to make their own money off these special skills is a moral bankruptcy affirming all that’s wrong with capitalism. We can do better. We can be fairer
Given that’s the game, I am glad that you and yours profited. My kids did it the old fashioned way; academic scholarships. And the rest I did it the way my parents did for meI broke my back to pay for it, for them, anywhere they could get into, at any cost. We call it “the curse.” That is, the need to do more for your kids than your parents did for you.
Do I believe athletics and gym classes are important? Absolutely. Just like art and music. Just not at these costs. Moderation in all things. When you can get a free collegic ride because you can throw a ball, something’s wrong somewhere.
MB Buses already pick some kids up by around 6:30...starting earlier would be a real challenge.
If I remember correctly, When I went to High School we started at 8:25am and got out at 3:05 pm.
We survived. And we actually had time to learn something.
JBJSKJ When I was in school locally 720 start 215 we got out
And as for a later start yeah that's getting them ready for the real world .
Harold All of those other districts bus and they seem to figure out the earlier start time.
Judging by the amount of teachers that are walking across the parking lots to enter the school in the morning while the students are walking in the door, I am guessing that they aren’t, or wouldn’t be, a fan of the earlier start time either.
Start them earlier.
Actually, according to the last studies, Hackettstown is ahead of the game. There are possible plans in the works to make school start times later because they've found (those darn scientific study thingies, you know) that students perform better when they arise a bit later. Obviously this doesn't sit well with many parents due to commuting schedules and dropping off the kids, etc., but some places have tried and/or are now talking about starting the school day later and ending it later.
Of course you have to ask (well I have to anyway), whether or not children in the study were staying up to late with screens to begin with or why they weren't going to sleep earlier. Was it a Circadian or other rhythm thing, or what. I never read the full study, just the summary conclusions. With the proliferation of things like ADD and ADHD, I question how in the forklift children are handling a 74 minute class. I thought earlier studies had capped the optimal class length at about 55 minutes or thereabouts.
Anything longer than that generally tends to lead to boredom and disinterest in normal "academic" classes, unless it's a class such as PE, band or a shop class, where length of "extra" time is important, whether for class prep, showering and dressing, etc.
Phil D. Typically when there is block scheduling, students aren't sitting for an 80 minute lecture (as noted above, that would be tough for students). This time allows teachers to use a variety of different instructional methods to best meet the needs of their students. So during that 80 minute time, there might be some whole group direct instruction, small group instruction, independent work, group project work, etc. It allows for much more flexibility for instruction and has a lot of benefits.
Jersey Girl HMS has two 80-min periods (Language Arts & Math) and it’s actually quite nice. As Jersey Girl stated above, it allows for more flexibility of instruction. IMO it’s a more relaxed learning environment; no rush to finish the information and a more comprehensive and relaxed approach.
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