h blocks – AHS NEWSPAPER

AHS Introduces New H-Block Numbering

October 7, 2024

Isabella Yan
ARTS EDITOR

In the winter of 2023, the H-Block Planning Team surveyed students and faculty to gather opinions regarding the H-Block schedule and offerings. Following the feedback received from the survey, H-Blocks have been renumbered, aligning with the days on the 8-day rotation. The previous H-Blocks followed a consecutive order where H2 was the second H-Block in the schedule, H3 was the third H-Block in the schedule, and so forth. After the change, H2 became H3 because it occurs on Day 3, and H3 became H4 because it occurs on Day 4. Altogether, H-Blocks will now consist of H3, H4, H6, and H8 rather than the previous H2 through 5.

The H-Block Planning Team—currently in its third year running—is responsible for overseeing these changes. The team includes faculty members across various departments at AHS who meet monthly to discuss and plan the advisory curriculum and H-Block offerings. Reflecting on the student and faculty feedback received from the survey, Assistant Principal Alicia Linsey, the administrative facilitator of the H-Block Planning Team, shared that the previous schedule was confusing and needed a change.

STAFF PHOTO / Isabella Yan
Student chooses H Blocks.

In the previous school year, the H-Block Planning Team began implementing the change of renaming H1 to Advisory. “It was important to clarify… [that] H1 has a distinct purpose [more so] than other H-Blocks,” according to Linsey.

The change of renumbering the H-Blocks has posed a challenge for students adapted to the old H-Block schedule. “I think it’s more confusing now,” said senior Sharayu Josh. She points out a communication hurdle, “You have to clarify whether you mean H4 meaning Day 4 or H4 meaning the fourth H-Block.”

However, students like junior Pranav Yadla have appreciate the new change, finding that the previous schedule was difficult to follow. “It’s more simple than last year,” he said. With the new schedule, Yadla offers a perspective that the new change has created clarity in navigating the schedule. “It’s way easier to know H4 is on Day 4 and not on Day 6,” he said. “You also know what day is coming up. So, it’s not just using the H-Block name just for H-Block, but also to find out what schedule that day is.”

While this change may take some time to get adjusted to as people settle in for the new school year, Josh acknowledged, “People will get used to it. It’s not really impactful on anything other than H blocks.”

Changes to H-1 H-Block

November 19, 2021

By Angela Mac

STAFF WRITER

Andover High School students express their dislike towards H-1 H-Block, which encourages faculty to make changes.

Some students wish they could have more time to do homework. They also want the freedom to choose what teachers and people could meet in the same H-Block. This would allow students to meet with teachers and peers, as well as hold club meetings.

AHS junior Ryan Swenson expressed his frustration with the block. “The H1 teachers always have some weird assignment for us that no one actually does,” he said.

Many others agree that the bonding activities are a waste of time.

However, what students don’t know is that changes to H-1 are already happening. There is a small H-Block planning team that asked a few students what they wanted most for future H-Blocks.

Some students have offered some ideas for changes that could be made. Rajswami Kontham, a sophomore at AHS, said that he wishes students “had more time to complete work in H-1 alongside classroom activities.” This was the most common theme throughout the student body.

During H-1 on Tuesday, November 2, instead of the normal curriculum, students were given time to get last-minute assignments done before the end of term one. This independent period goes by the name Bee You, inspired by worker bees.

“Some people might want to work on homework and just do a lot of work. Where others may want to give themselves some time to reflect,” said Assistant Principal Kwesi Moody. The H-Block planning team plans to implement Bee You in future H-1 H-Blocks.

As AHS neared the end of the first term, students went over their grades and concerns with their H-1 teachers before the term ended. H-1 teachers helped students get in touch with the teachers they needed to see.

Currently, a goal of H-1 H-Blocks is to meet the needs of each student. For example, H-1 aims to help freshmen familiarize themselves with the faculty members and the school, especially after transitioning from middle school. They will have their H-1 teacher for all four years at AHS, giving them an opportunity to connect with that teacher. H-1 gives all students a time and place to get themselves organized for the next cycle. There are also learning activities that take place during H1, such as ALICE training, fire drills, and more. During this time, H-1 teachers may go over important events and announcements.

In addition, H-1 is a place where students can discuss recent issues and other important lessons. Some students have come to their H-1 teacher for both mental and academic support. For many, it is a safe space.

Social worker Abby Levins stated that students “have to think about the overall school environment and community, and the school’s need to have a sense of community and spirit so that everyone gets along well.”

COVID Restrictions Limit AHS Students’ Use of H-Blocks

November 19, 2021

By Anusha Sambangi

STAFF WRITER

The return of student-scheduled H-Blocks has resulted in many positive responses from students. However, this year’s COVID restrictions have left some students unable to fulfill their needs during the period.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, meeting with multiple teachers during one H-Block has become much more difficult for students. Now, teachers should contact a student’s H-Block teacher before the students are able to get a pass to leave their classroom. This is only encouraged if movement between rooms is necessary. These new rules were implemented to make contact tracing in the school easier.

A common problem among AHS students is the inability to access the teacher they need during H-Block. Usually, this is due to their classes being full, which has a direct impact on students’ academic performance. Moving between H-Block classes is possible, but there is a certain procedure that needs to be followed.

Annie Song, AHS junior, said “[she] liked that [prior to the pandemic] we could go around to the teacher we needed to ask questions to.” Now, Song says that some of her friends have not been allowed to move as easily between rooms. Like many other students, she has to book her H-Block’s earlier since rooms fill up very fast. While these changes haven’t affected Song academically, she looks forward to returning to previous H-Block freedoms.

“I just wanna get all my homework done so I can go home and relax,” said freshman Kara Stefani. When asked about the effects of these new restrictions on H-Block, Stefani said her “grades and academic environment have been affected.” Stefani enjoys having time allotted in her day to do her schoolwork, but also often has problems finding space in the rooms of the teacher she needs.

Sophomore Jingyi Kang has been having similar problems. Kang needed to prepare for a math test recently, but her teacher’s class was already full. Due to the difficulty of moving between classes, Kang was unable to meet with her teacher. “I [was not] fully prepared,” Kang explained.

Many teachers are aware of this problem with students. Social Studies teacher Michelle Chachus said, “It’s a lot more challenging for students to move between H-Blocks. If a student need[ed] to meet with two teachers, it used to be really easy to go from one H-Block and then get a pass to go to another H-Block.”

If a student were to need help from a teacher they are not in an H-Block with, AHS Physical Science teacher Ralph Bledsoe recommends that students inform him about room changes ahead of time, so that he can write a pass for them or assign them to his class. “I can sign them up for any H-Block no matter how many students I have,” Bledsoe said. Many times, students don’t realize they need help until the H-Block has already begun.

These restrictions aren’t permanent, however. Assistant Principal Kwesi Moody said we have had a small change in this year’s H-Block “due to some of the COVID restrictions.” With the holiday season coming up, Moody and Principal Brown have become even more strict about enforcing COVID restrictions. In the future, Moody said, H-Block “will be less restricted but will have structure.”

AHS NEWSPAPER

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AHS Introduces New H-Block Numbering

Changes to H-1 H-Block

COVID Restrictions Limit AHS Students’ Use of H-Blocks

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