With school starting on Tuesday, September 1, the South Orange-Maplewood School District has shared the new school start and end times — designed at least in part to make transportation more affordable and efficient — and is answering questions about the shortened conference period at Columbia High School.
See the schedule here:
From CHS Principal Frank Sanchez:
“The adjustment to Conference Time reflects a broader effort to create a school day that better supports both student wellness and academic success. Rather than maintaining a longer conference period at the expense of other priorities, the new schedule reallocates time to create a more balanced day with fewer transitions, a later start, longer instructional blocks, and a common lunch that provides opportunities for connection, support, tutoring, and student activities. These changes are consistent with our goal of creating conditions in which students can be focused, engaged, and ready to learn.
The schedule changes also contribute to district-wide operational efficiencies, including savings associated with the three-tiered transportation system and revised start and dismissal times. Importantly, those efficiencies allow the district to make schedule changes while continuing to invest in student supports.
A shorter Conference time does not mean less access to support. CHS will strengthen the resources available during the time students do have, including a new Testing Center located in the Library and available every period. Students can use the Testing Center for extended-time and reduced-distraction testing, make-up assessments, and other testing needs. This provides a consistent, accessible support similar to testing centers found on college and university campuses.
Ultimately, the goal is to move away from thinking about student success as simply providing more available time and toward ensuring that the time students spend at school is purposeful, supportive, and sustainable. Academic rigor remains a priority, but so does creating a school day in which students have the energy, focus, and well-being necessary to succeed.”
