Boiler Block at BBCHS has been an ever-changing constant in all students’ lives for years now, if the changes have all been positive or negative, it is up to said students. The behind-the-scenes of Boiler Block is constantly changing year to year, but these changes are necessary to make sure administrators are making the best decisions for their students and to make sure Boiler Block is as efficient as it needs to be.
People might not even be confused so much about the new policies of Boiler Block, but the original function of the half period. When asked, Dr. Evan Tingley, principal of BBCHS, stated “Boiler Block is not just an extra study hall. It is a targeted period meant for reteaching absent or missing kids. It is an intervention for struggling students.” Ms. Alyssa Carl, MTSS (Multi-tiered Systems of Support) Coordinator and math teacher here at BBCHS, held the same sentiment as Tingley when asked about the primary function of Boiler Block. “The purpose of Boiler Block is enrichment and intervention for all students…,” Carl said. “It was essentially put in place for students to get extra support.”
The Boiler Bock policy today is a mix between the policy of the 2021-2022 school year where students signed themselves up using the “Responsive Scheduling” tab on Infinite Campus as well as the policy from the 2022-2023 school year being that teachers sign students up based on grades as well as what students ask to be signed up for. The new 2023-2024 school year policy will be a merging of the two past academic year policies, with students being able to sign themselves up but with teachers reviewing the choices and making changes based on what they see reflected in the grades of said student.
This process will hopefully be more efficient than last year, when it would take a whole Boiler Block period for a teacher to sign up all students. Carl commented on the hopeful efficiency of the new policy and said “…Giving [students] the ability to sign themselves up helps the process…become easier than last year and gives teachers more time in Boiler Block for other things than signing students up.” Carl also said when asked if this new policy would be more efficient than in years past, “It’s a learning curve; we’re still working out the kinks of if a kid is absent or doesn’t sign up, but the goal is for it to be more efficient.”
As for the future, when asked about new opportunities in Boiler Block starting from this new policy change, Carl commented, “Starting this year, there are about five groups now that are an extra or bonus in that class. Coach Mike Kohl is starting a group of athlete leaders during Boiler Block, there are a couple of book clubs that have started, and some mental health groups forming…so it is slowly becoming that where there are going to be a couple more enrichment activities available within Boiler Block.”
Whether or not these changes are positive for the further development and future of Boiler Block remains to be seen, as Ms. Carl said “It will be a learning curve.”
