Half-Day Wednesdays To Start Next Week At Stillwater High

STILLWATER, MN — Stillwater Area High School is set to follow a shortened class schedule on Wednesdays through the end of the academic year.

Students will be allowed to leave just after noon on Wednesdays or stay in school to get additional support or catch up on missed assignments and work during “extended office hours,” officials said.

The shortened class schedule on Wednesdays is due to start Feb. 16.

Stillwater Schools Could Drop Mask Mandate By Mid-February

All Stillwater Area High School students will be in classes from 7:40 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. Wednesdays. Students who have parental permission can leave after 12:05 p.m. Wednesdays and conduct office hours remotely, while students who stay in school can get lunch and additional help until buses arrive at 2:10 p.m.

Students will be required to stay at school on Wednesday afternoons if they are earning below a 70 percent in any of their classes, officials said.

“This targeted approach to academic intervention allows teachers to focus on students who have fallen behind or need a little extra support,” officials said. “For students who are caught up in school, it offers flexibility and time to complete their assignments and collaborate with classmates.”

Stillwater Gets $66K Grant For Gas-Tax Funds Lost Amid Pandemic

Principal Rob Bach said the extended office hours are meant to help teachers and staff address some students’ growing need for additional support with classes.

Stillwater Area High School had an office-hours period during the first semester, but its placement on the schedule between third and fourth periods meant it was “simply not as effective” as officials hoped it would be for students who needed extra help, Bach said.

Officials decided to move the office-hours period to the end of the school day for the second semester, with more than 1,100 students in the school relying on district-provided transportation. Bach said it's “simply not an option” for many of them to get help before or after school.

Washington County Leader Retires After Decades Of Service

Parents must complete a form on PowerSchool by Wednesday that tells officials whether they want their children to stay in school for extended office hours or gives their children permission to leave early on Wednesdays.

Any student who has not submitted a completed form by Wednesday will be required to stay in school during extended office hours. Students who ride district transportation or rely on school nutrition services should indicate that they are staying for extended office hours on Wednesdays, officials said.

Teachers may require some students to attend extended office hours on Wednesdays, according to the district.