Big Changes for the New Year

After coming back from Christmas break, many students were surprised to hear that FCHS had made the decision to go back to an alternating Fluco Focus schedule. Prior to the change, students spent every Fluco Focus (a study hall block the last thirty minutes of the day) in their Homeroom. As of Jan. 6, however, students now spend the time in a different place each day of the week: Mondays in Homeroom, Tuesdays in first block, Wednesdays in second block, Thursdays in third block, and Fridays in fourth block. 

Having students spend Fluco Focus four out of five days a week in their classrooms makes it easier for teachers to have extra time with their students, either for additional assignments, or to catch up on curriculum, or for remediation. 

Some people, especially teachers such as Victoria Zavadsky, are very happy about the Fluco Focus changes. “It gives me an opportunity to work with [the students] and it helps to have make-up work completed without having to make arrangements with other teachers,” Zavadsky said. “If students need reinforcement on concepts, teachers can use this time as well,” she added.

The new Fluco Focus schedule may also make it easier for staff to keep track of which students are attending clubs. “It keeps our students accountable when they have an established relationship with their classroom teacher. Otherwise, they feel as if they can behave inappropriately,” said Zavadsky. 

One more reason for the switch is because some considered the previous system to be inequitable. Teachers who had 8th grader homerooms always had a full Fluco Focus, while those who had senior homerooms tended to have no students since most seniors skip Fluco Focus.  

In addition to changing the Fluco Focus schedule, Administration also changed the length of the block, cutting it five minutes in order to allow for the switch back to four lunches.