Giving our kids "more" and "less"

Our schools strive to give students more, which sometimes means giving them less. Next year St. Philip High School will return to a six-hour day.

“I would prefer quality over quantity,” Director of Student Services Kyra Rabbitt said.

Graduation requires 24 credit hours, which divides neatly into four years with a six-hour day.  St. Philip changed to a seven-hour day several years ago because individual paths to graduation were no longer so neat.

The intention was to give students wiggle room to pursue the Math and Science Center, Calhoun Area Career Center, Kellogg Community College, and the Advance Placement courses of their choosing. Unfortunately, doing so reduced class time across the board.

As more students took advantage of these programs, the high school added an optional “zero hour”, making an eight-hour day possible.

Recently, students have been earning high school credit in middle school. Next year's incoming freshmen will have a Spanish I and a Health credit, and most will have an Algebra I credit.

The 24 credits required for graduation hasn't changed, which mean, under the current system, our kids’ “elective” credits have swollen to ten, if not more.

And “more” isn’t always more.

Shorter class periods are a huge problem when taking advanced coursework. Our modest student population – spread in several directions at eight different times – often doesn't have the numbers necessary to keep elective and AP course consistently viable.

Worse, our kids were fatiguing.

“We are expecting students to take college classes and do higher-level course work, but then expecting them to have an eight-hour day,” Mrs. Rabbitt said. “You don't take eight different classes in college. You have four, maybe five max.”

Returning to a six-hour day restores balance.

“Teachers have been wanting to go back to it for a while because they want more time with students,” Mrs. Rabbitt said.

What doesn’t change is a student’s ability pursue their own path to graduation. A careful curriculum realignment keeps the MSC, CACC, and KCC as viable options, and makes it easier for students to take AP courses.

Better yet, sustainable numbers will enable our AP program to expand, starting with AP Computer Science next year. The realignment makes room for a much-needed Freshman Technology course.

The optional zero hour will stay. And if a student really wants eight classes, St. Philip staff will find a way.

“If kids want to take more, they still can,” Mrs. Rabbitt said. “I will still work with kids on a one-on-one basis as I always have.”

Basically, St. Philip students are covered – “more” and “less”.

Parents with transition questions or concerns are encouraged to contact Mrs. Rabbitt at krabbitt@bcacs.org or St. Philip High School principal Vicky Groat at vgroat@bcacs.org.

Don't worry. The math (and science) still adds up!

Dear Eighth-Grade Parents,

Battle Creek Math and Science Center letters are speeding to your door. Depending on what's inside, you may be happy, sad or confused.

If your child qualified, congratulations! If they didn't, don't worry. Our St. Philip High School staff has you covered.

What if your child didn't qualify or didn't take the test, but they still want to go the MSC?

If your child wants to go to the Center, they still can. St. Philip students have entered the Center as sophomores, juniors, even seniors.

“You get into the 9^th grade by taking a test,” Luke Perry, STEM Director of the MSC, said. “However, if your student doesn't qualify, there are other ways available to them and they all start with a conversation with me.”

Rest assured that conversation with Mr. Perry will be well supported by St. Philip staff – a staff that includes a shared-time MSC teacher. They will help your child prepare for the transition.

“We can mirror a schedule pretty near what freshmen and sophomores take at the Center,” Kyra Rabbitt, St. Philip counselor, said.

My family knows first-hand.

My son took AP Calculus BC at the Center his junior year. He not only did well, he took the AP exam and received college credit – all on the bedrock of his St. Philip math education.

My son’s story isn’t unique.

“St. Philip does an excellent job of preparing kids for success here,” Mr. Perry said.

What if your child qualified, but wants to delay attending?

There are advantages to waiting, as the Finnila Family discovered. Their oldest son entered the Center as a freshman. Their daughter waited until her junior year to attend. Joy Finnila felt her daughter had more time to acclimate to high school life and form deeper connections with her peers.

“I felt she was less stressed and more carefree,” Mrs. Finnila said. “I had my hesitations with her not going to the Center to start with, but after her first semester at St. Philip, I realized she was not lacking in her education. It enabled her to transition into the Center with little difficulty.”

As a result, the family’s youngest son decided to wait on the Center until his junior year.

What if your child doesn’t attend the MSC?

My oldest child wasn’t interested in the Center. She wouldn’t even take the test. Her 100% St. Philip education not only got her into the university of her choice but did so with scholarship money. Better still, she earned a 3.97 her first semester, which included an “A” in chemistry.

Long story short, St. Philip has you covered. No matter what that letter says, the math (and science!) still adds up.

Comments, questions, have a few suggestions? Write us at BCACS.Blog@gmail.com.