Two weeks into Verona public schools’ online learning experiment during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, school officials have decided to tweak the schedule for Henry B. Whitehorne Middle School and Verona High School. The new “A/B Flex” schedule (above) will begin on Monday, April 13, after Verona’s spring break. School officials also announced Wednesday that they will be providing online enrichment during the break for students who want it.
The new schedule gives students a screen break between classes, instead of the back-to-back learning they had been doing. On an “A” day under the new schedule, students will have periods 1 and 2 (55 minutes each) in the morning with a 10-minute break in between, a 60-minute lunch, and then periods 3 and 4, again 55 minutes each with a 10-minute break in between. On a “B” day, students will have periods 5 and 6 in the morning and then periods 7 and 8 in the afternoon.
The “Flex” day will use the original remote learning schedule, but with flexibility. Students could complete assignments or make-up work, ask teachers questions, or go offline and work at their own pace. Teachers and students may have small group work or individual assistance, and teachers can use the time to collaborate or plan with colleagues.
Verona Public Schools will still have its spring break next week, Monday, April 6 through Friday, April 10, but since students will be homebound during it, the district will provide an online enrichment program called IXL. The district has set up an account for every student and teacher, and has sent an email with the information needed to activate the account.
