Tutoring time may help SOL studies at Heritage high school

Students who headed back to Heritage High School this week may have noticed a change or two in their daily routine.

A different schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays? Shortened classes? Morning announcements at lunch?

Yes, yes and yes. The changes were made to create 45-minute enrichment periods on Tuesdays and Thursdays that will be used for tutoring or extra study time.

“I think it’s going to take us to the next level in terms of SOL (Standards of Learning) testing,” principal Mark Miear said.

During the enrichment period, students with below a C average in courses with Standards of Learning tests must seek mandatory tutoring.

“Students who are not doing well are not interested in staying (after school) anyway,” Miear said, adding the new periods offer built-in study time.

Students who do not need tutoring will be required to do homework.

“It just gives more time to get work done,” Miear said. “If they don’t have work, they will be required to read. They won’t be allowed to talk or chat.”

A few minutes have been shaved off classes and the morning announcements now air at lunch to create time for the enrichment period.

Miear said brainstorming for the period started at the end of last school year with students and faculty. Initially there was debate about whether to have a short period several days a week or a long period once a week.

In the end, Heritage reached a compromise and decided to offer enrichment twice a week between third and fourth periods. The enrichment time debuted this week — so far, so good.

“It was really neat to see all the teachers excited,” Miear said.

Heritage biology teacher Buck Walker is one of them.

“It’s all pretty new,” Walker said. “We’ll see how it goes; so far it’s going smoothly.”

Walker said his students seemed receptive to the idea.

“I told some students today even if you’re not in need of extra tutoring you’ll have that opportunity to do some homework during school and free up some time at home,” he said.

Both Walker and Miear said the enrichment period is going to serve an important purpose.

“The desire and hope is that it will be positive,” Walker said. “It’s going to help students who in other cases wouldn’t have sought help.”