Regular curriculum takes a holiday every Wednesday for Regis High School students.
“What started out three years ago as a way to deal with the challenges of COVID has evolved into a unique approach to scheduling for Regis students,” said Mike Bauer, business teacher and coach at the Catholic high school in Stayton.
“The new schedule blends the traditional approach to the required high school curriculum with a unique weekly Wednesday schedule that offers student college and career guidance, academic time to work on core curriculum classes, wellness opportunities, faith experiences, and classes to explore student interests.”
When the pandemic hit, Bauer said Regis became one of the first schools in the area to offer in-person education blended with online classes.
“Two summers ago principal Candi Hedrick, academic dean, Chris Van Cauteren, and counselor, Selena Schumacher, developed a curriculum model that blended ideas and opportunities gleaned from the pandemic, best education practices, and the ideas of teachers,” Bauer said. “The schedule that resulted has students taking their regular classes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.”
On Wednesday, teachers meet in the chapel for prayer before a faculty meeting to discuss issues and plan activities. Students attend an advisory period on what these activities include, such as exploring careers and topics of interest, getting announcements and student body information, preparing for PSATs, meeting with college and career reps, listening to guest speakers, discussing monthly mental health topics and learning service opportunities.
“Aspire, one of the school’s vital mentor programs, has found a home in this period,” Bauer said. “Every month students are able to access help from their Aspire mentors with post high school decisions.”
The second period is academic time set aside for students to meet with teachers, work on homework and projects, and in general stay caught up on core curriculum classes, Bauer said.
“Students and teachers in the math and science departments are particularly pleased with this as students are able to work out difficulties they may be having,” he said. “A by-product of the chance to get academic work done at school recognizes that our students and families are so busy, and we want to help preserve important family and down time in the evening.”
Probably one of the areas that has been most enhanced by the Wednesday schedule is the Spirituality period, where the student body is able to come together for meaningful spiritual experiences each week, Bauer said.
“One week it might be mass, another week a guest speaker, another week a student-led prayer service,” he said.
“The Wednesday lunch periods have become a time of community building as quite often parents will prepare a meal for students to enjoy with their fellow students,” he added.
After lunch is Wellness period where students can take supervised hikes on community trails, prepare healthy smoothies, and engage in yoga, meditation and various relaxation techniques.
Also, students can explore art for fun, group fitness, chess, tea and kindness, and other stress-relieving activities, Bauer said.
“Perhaps one the most beneficial periods of the day is the two-hour block set aside at the end of the day called Exploratory,” he said. The Exploratory period offers students the opportunity to learn skills in a variety of areas and experiences, including field biology, golf, personal finance, lifetime sports, history through film, debate, swimming, criminal justice, CPR, photography, community gardening, baking, job shadowing, and barista training at the Regis Café.
Junior Cutler Nelson raved about job shadowing, saying, “I loved it because it allows someone to see what really goes on in a profession instead of what they always hear about.”
Student Kollin Schumacher, said, “I really appreciate that we can explore college and career opportunities.”
Science teacher Mandy Miotke gave kudos to the Wednesday schedule that allows teachers to greatly expand elective offerings.
“With a two-hour block, I can transport my field biology students to streams and forests to practice real-life techniques and experiments,” Miotke said. “I can transport my swimming students to the pool to practice techniques and even get certified and hired as lifeguards.”
Social studies teacher Kaitlin Leeper believes the exploratory experience allows students to “fully engage with their passions and investigate possibilities for their future beyond high school.
“It has been a wonderful opportunity for our students and teachers,” she said.
According to Bauer, students appreciate the mid-week break in academic studies.
“They are able to get caught up on homework during Academic time and are prepared for their Thursday/Friday classes,” he said. “With five days a week with the same class, it seemed like by Friday teacher and student fatigue has set in.
“The wide variety of opportunities afforded to students by this unique schedule is a win for students, staff and teachers,” Bauer said. “More gets done each week with a higher degree of energy. The students at Regis High School have something to look forward to each week.
“This is the second year of the new schedule for Regis and much has been learned by the students, teachers and staff that has led to many positive outcomes as the program continues to evolve,” he said.
