For a handful of years, our staff has considered the possibility of transitioning to a block schedule. In a block schedule, classes meet fewer days per week for longer periods of time. At Venado, 3 classes would meet per day for approximately 100 minutes. Odd period classes (periods 1, 3 & 5) would meet one day, and even periods (periods 2, 4 & 6) would meet the subsequent day.
Staff recently elected to pilot a block schedule to help us determine if we would like to transition to a block schedule or not. This would allow Venado students and staff to experience, firsthand, what it’s like to go to school and work with a block schedule and ultimately help us make a better decision. A number of Irvine USD High Schools, including Irvine High School, have block schedules. Jeffrey Trail Middle School is the only middle school in the district with a block schedule (they have a 2-day a week block schedule).
Venado will be piloting a two-week long block schedule the weeks of March 11 and March 18. Here’s how the block schedule pilot will be configured:
Week of March 11 (2 days of Block)
o Tuesday, 3/12 (Periods 1, 3 & 5)
o Wednesday, 3/13 (Periods 2, 4 & 6)
Week of March 18 (4 days of Block)
o Monday, 3/18 (Periods 1, 3 & 5)
o Tuesday, 3/19 (Periods 2, 4 & 6)
o Wednesday, 3/20 (Periods 1, 3 & 5)
o Thursday, 3/21 (Periods 2, 4 & 6)
Please note that school start and end times during these days do not change (school starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m.) The bell schedule for these days has been posted on our website (About>Bell Schedules>Quick Links: Block Schedules). To view the schedule, please click on this link. Students learned about the pilot in a special Homeroom on February 21. Our staff will make a final decision about whether to move to a block schedule or not for the 2019-2020 school year later this spring.
On a side note, block schedule days are calendared for two sets of back-to-back minimum days on March 28-29 (Open House and the day before spring break) and April 24-25 (Irvine High School Registration Days). These days are not part of the pilot. If you have any questions or would like more information about the pilot, please call our main office.
~Luis Torres, Principal