First Day Sees Unique Reshaping at Liberty
New bell schedules bring modifications to Liberty’s 10th academic year
Carlie Boucher (12), Ava Swift (12) and Haylie Aubuchon (11) greet students as they enter the building on the first day of school.
With a new school year comes, of course and as always, new changes. Going into Liberty High School’s 10th anniversary, this term involves an entirely different schedule format than previous years (discounting the virtual learning timetables). The new season also brings new students, staff, sentiments and perspectives.
There has been much anticipation and enthusiasm, especially among staff members, for the celebration of Liberty’s decade of development.
Assistant Principal Dr. Kiely, who has worked at Liberty since it first opened, stated, “We are going into our 10th year, which is very exciting. My vision for this school year is for every student to feel like they belong; whether it’s a staff member, a student, a parent, I want this to be an inclusive community that everyone feels connected to and can have growth in.”
Most of the opinions expressed about the recently introduced modified block scheduling and SOAR/NEST Times have been rather polarized. Some suggest that the extra amount of time during these segments will result in greater academic/personal success and provide students with more opportunities for time management. Others have been more critical, saying that there is simply too much time and there could be a loss of continuity.
Senior Madison Cooper remarked that although the novel structure may initially seem hectic, students and staff will soon find their routine.
“’I think it’ll be crazy at first while everyone is adjusting to the new power lunch, but eventually I’ll get used to it,” said Cooper. “It’s a learning curve.”
Math teacher Mrs. Jacks mainly had concerns regarding the new schedule.
“I think we will have a little less class time than we used to have,” Jacks commented. “If we have kind of a weird week where we have one snow day and if it is on one of those block days, what will that look like?”
Along with the annual tradition of the freshman bridgewalk signifying a new generation of Eagles came Liberty’s first pep assembly of the year during ninth hour. As with every inaugural assembly, it managed to fill the air with fun, school pride, excitement and a sense of belonging in preparation for the fall sports season just around the corner. The red, white and blue that we so often see offered an aquiline backdrop to speeches as well as performances by the school band, Liberty Belles, and cheer squad. Building Principal Dr. Nelson welcomed the freshman class by expressing his love for each student and speaking at length about the importance of being kind.
Throughout the first week of school, teachers guided students through the ins and outs of the new schedule. Students saw multiple presentations detailing the expectations for SOAR/NEST Times. Blue and red wristbands donning the words “I Belong” were passed out to students on the first day, while staff members were seen wearing shirts with the same phrase.
The concepts of office hours, plan time, and red and blue lunches were also explained. All of these sections are visible on teachers’ schedules posted outside of their rooms. Students were told that office hours are times that they may discuss academic matters with certain teachers. Plan times (listed as simply “Plan” on teacher schedules) are opportunities for clubs to have meetings; these must be set up in advance and be discussed with the adviser or teacher running the activity. The red and blue lunches during SOAR Time designate when specific teachers will have lunch. Helpful SOAR Time information such as weekly teacher office hours and the club meeting schedule can be found on the school website’s section dedicated to it.