Clarke Central High School Family Engagement Specialist Christian Barner sits at a table on April 2, 2019. Barner oversaw parent-teacher conferences and says it is one of the more popular family engagement events. “There are certain things that we do parents come out to without a doubt,” Barner said. “We have parent conferences, we have about 87-88% of our parents come to parent conferences, which I think is a lot because that’s something parents have been doing since their kids were in elementary school.” Photo by Krista Shumaker
Clarke Central High School Family Engagement Specialist Christain Barner will be assisting the CCHS community in the transition to block schedule for the 2020-2021 school year.
With the upcoming switch to a four by four block schedule for the 2020-2021 school year, Clarke Central High School family Engagement Specialist Christian Barner is focusing on preparing families and students for the transition.
“(I will be) answering questions for parents now that the word is starting to go out with that’s the change we’re making, and how it’s going to affect their students. That’ll be something that will be there, as well as helping (CCHS assistant principal Summer Smith) prepare for parent conferences because these upcoming parent conferences are about registration,” Barner said. “Trying to make sure that we have all the resources that are there in the hands of advisers (so) whenever they meet the parents (advisers will) to be able to answer those questions as well.”
Teachers and advisers will be prepared for the transition through training sessions.
“From what I understand they’ll do PL which is professional learning about (block schedule). It is a big change. Particularly going from like the 45 minute periods that we have on a Monday and a Friday to 90 minutes. You’re doubling that time,” Barner said. “A lot of it is about trying to make sure that those teachers are trained on what to do and how to chunk your time it offers.”
CCHS junior Emilyn Zapata has taken into consideration the schedule change for her class choices next year.
“I’m taking a few (Advanced Placement) classes. They might be like a second semester. I’m planning to take at least two of them. I don’t know if I can handle it because they’re gonna be long classes. A long time in an AP class is not really something that I would like to do,” Zapata said. “And try to take a lot of advanced classes, so I can get over with them at the beginning of the year. I can just apply to schools and it can be easier.”
