The bell rings, dismissing class. The halls slowly fill with students. Some meander alongside their friends while some walk quickly. Others even run to their next class.
But what makes this all go round?
At Mount Greylock, each student has seven blocks in a day. Some blocks are required, such as lunch, Directed Study, and wellness. Others are requested by students such as core academic classes and electives.
Two blocks stay the same. For music students or those taking a second language, it’s usually a core class. For others, it is an enrichment class.
In middle school, schedules are pretty straightforward. Besides the choice between a music or enrichment class, everyone takes the same classes.
In high school, it gets more complicated. Students have a broader range of classes to choose from: Honors and AP classes as well as some classes offered by Williams College, MCLA, and BCC.
The schedule-making process starts almost a year before students pick their classes. In October, teachers meet with Principal Jacob Schutz and propose classes to offer for the next year. Many are the same classes from prior years, but new classes are added each year.
“I like that our teachers have the ability and the expertise to develop unique courses,” said Schutz.
After the class offerings are decided, teachers build their schedules depending on what five classes they are teaching.
In the Spring, students pick out what classes they wish to take. Students then meet with their counselors who help to create their schedule. The counseling office inputs all of the desired student schedules into PowerSchool, as well as the teachers’ schedules.
PowerSchool then compiles a schedule for every student and teacher. The counseling office and Principal Schutz then work with individual students and teachers to smooth out any problems that arise when using PowerSchool.
“It’s a complex puzzle that involves many different pieces,” said guidance counselor Jessica Casalinova.
The school is essentially run by the master schedule. This schedule determines what time lunch is, where students go to class, when teachers have a break, and even lunch duties.
The master schedule, much like each individual schedule, is also made by PowerSchool. The master schedule is both a compilation of each person’s own schedule and the overall schedule as a school.
Thanks to the master schedule and the efforts by the counseling office, Mountie days run smoothly from bell to bell.
