Seekonk High School has a new initiative called the “Win Block.”
“In between the second and third period of the day, there’s a 31 minute block that never used to be there before,” explained Principal William Whalen. “(Students) can decide where they want to go to get extra help from a teacher. If they don’t need extra help, they can take an academic pause like a social/emotional component where they can have breakfast in the cafeteria, they can (use) the gym, or work in the library.”
Whalen said the administrators went through different phases of what they wanted the time to look like. One proposed title was “The Warrior Block” before it was decided to name it the “Win Block.”
“The teachers were in favor of it so we got it into the contract and got it into the schedule and the (students) really really love it. It’s a great tool for us and part of the culture now.”
Whalen said he is hoping to get a DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) designation for Innovation Pathways.
“We would be looking to get a pathway for Business and a pathway for Health Care,” Whalen explained.
Students would be able to take a pathway of courses and go out on internships before the time they reached their senior year. The programs would be paid for with grant funding.
“We’ve also redesigned our programs of study to include some pathways. Our goal is within the next couple of years to give all our seniors the opportunity to get out and do internships.”
Enrollment has remained steady. This year, 510 students are attending classes.
“We are really trying to encourage eighth graders to take a good serious look (at the high school) before they decide to go somewhere else,” Whalen said.
Hurley Middle School students were invited last November to take a tour of the high school and attend an activities fair. In early December, the middle school students get to spend a day “shadowing” a high school senior in their classes.
Whalen wrote two grants for Project Lead the Way. The high school offers engineering courses and biomedical science courses.
“With those grants, we got the money for the equipment for those classes and training for the teachers. Everything is hands on and project-based. A lot of people didn’t know we had these Project Lead the Way classes. They didn’t know we had so many AP classes. Now they have maybe more of an interest in students coming to Seekonk High School than they have before.”
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