PLHS Powerhour
Launch the media gallery 1 playerPowerhour at PLHS was conceived last year as an idea during our redesign process. Students were asking for more freedom during their seminar time, teachers were looking for more uninterrupted intervention time with students that needed help. So by incorporating both of those needs, Powerhour seemed like a perfect fit at PLHS.
During Powerhour each day students check in with their seminar teacher. If they are using their time properly and passing each of their classes with at least a 65% then they are free to choose how to best use their Powerhour time. They can go to the library for a quiet place to study, they have access to their teachers if they need additional help, they can even hang in the commons area and have social time with their friends if they feel they are all caught up. If a student has grades below a 65% then they are assigned to those classes directly to work on their grades.
We are only in the fourth week of this trial, but already we have seen a significant decrease in our ineligible list. We hope this continues. More one on one time was a consistent theme with our students last year when we surveyed them on what they would change if given the opportunity. PLHS staff feels confident that this time will be used by our students as intended, and will make getting help with classes easier for our students.