The district has announced it will make the switch back to A/B block schedule come next school year. Currently varsity athletics, cheer and drill team will have a double block which means students enrolled in those programs would go to their extracurricular every day, instead of every other day. The district continues to finalize exact wording on scheduling, and whether these classes double blocking would be mandatory or voluntary. With only four blocks available a day, forcefully double blocking any elective would remove most students from being able to participate in other extracurriculars such as JROTC, band, theater, journalism, choir, Ben Barber classes (which are already double blocked) and many others.
With current graduation requirements, students must to take required courses to graduate, like a foreign language or fine art. This, combined with the four core classes of English, math, science, and social studies, leaves little room for extracurricular classes. If, on top of that, it was required, or even pushed, for students to take double blocked athletics, cheer, or drill team every other extracurricular would be affected.
This change will affect incoming freshmen the most, and could prevent them from exploring multiple extracurriculars. If they are pushed into a double-blocked elective, it practically eliminates them from other elective classes. Fine arts programs need these freshmen to keep their programs thriving. These freshmen, who may not have one singular interest, could be prevented from branching out into other programs because of their schedule.
Keeping all elective programs active is an integral part of Legacy’s community as it allows students with who are involved in athletics, cheer and drill team to participate in an other extracurricular activities. It allows students to pursue a field of interest and build relationships in a program. And most importantly it allows high school students to explore their interests and figure out what they are passionate about. Forcing a double block in only certain programs hurts every other program.
Most students don’t have one singular interest. I’m in a multitude of electives myself, and if I was in an athletic double blocked class I wouldn’t be able to do half the things I’m able to do now. I even choose to double block a band class this year, as do many students in many other electives, and they should still be able to do that next year, if they choose to. Many students are in a similar situation. Some are only in one thing, and that’s fine, and they should have the OPTION to double block, but there are students, like me, whose schedule wouldn’t allow anything if they were required to double block. While athletics, cheer and drill team are important, double blocking makes it harder for fine arts and other electives to excel.
While administrators are figuring out the exact language of the double blocking athletics, cheer and drill team being double blocked may be default on the schedule. Students should be able to work with their coach/director to come to a workable solution if they so choose.
It’s important that every student, especially in high school, has an equal chance to participate in whatever program he or she wants to. Whether it be football and band, choir and baseball, cheer and art, whatever it is, a required double block would prevent some students from doing what they want.
The administration should not force athletics, cheer and drill team to double block at the expense of other programs but allow them the option to double block or choose to take another elective.
