Sartell Pitches Middle School Scheduling Changes

(KNSI) – Sartell Middle School students will have a new schedule in the fall that prioritizes more time for core classes and electives alike. Interim Superintendent Tom Lee presented the proposal at Monday’s school board meeting.

“WIN” time, short for “What I Need,” will be cut. Lee explains what that concept is. “Tutorial was intended to both reteach and make sure kids get the actual concept who didn’t get it the first time, and to enrich the kids on the other hand, right? That’s what it was meant to do. Most school districts don’t have it daily.”

Sartell Middle School does it for 45 minutes each day and Lee said it had strayed from its original intent in a lot of cases.

Physical education would be changed to 40 minutes per class every other day year-round, and elective courses like foreign language and theater would run 80 minutes every other day for a full trimester.

Another change is the emphasis on music. It would be made mandatory for fifth and sixth grades and strongly encouraged through eighth grade. Lee says improving overall numbers is important.

“Kids who are currently in eighth grade…started as a group of 82, went to 72, went to 45, went to 38. My hope is that we can double those numbers; by the time they’re in eighth grade, we’re sending 80 kids.”

The high school has block scheduling, with only four sessions per day. Lee notes attrition up until grade 12 will occur naturally. He uses his son as an example, saying there is a cap on the number of students with the talent or interest to devote a quarter of their day to music. He wants as many middle schoolers involved as possible to offset that decline in later years.

Sartell Middle School employs three music teachers, which is a healthy amount for a building of its size. Lee says he will take full advantage of that, including in the after-school hours. Fifth grade ensembles would be moved to the afternoon and bus schedules will be adjusted to compensate for the change. Lee says it will allow those students to participate in all three: band, choir, and orchestra.

Small group and personal instruction would be moved to during the ensemble periods.

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