Click here to view teacher info for Power Hour
FAQ for Parents
What is Power Hour (PH)? Power Hour is a one-hour
block at the midpoint of the school day Tuesday-Thursday designed to support
learning and maintain a positive culture for students. This block of time
includes a 30-minute lunch and a 30-minute flex period for students to pursue academic
work and extracurricular interests. Students can use this time to get extra
help, make up missed assignments, study, attend intervention, participate in
clubs, activities or intramural sports. Students who struggle
academically may be assigned Power Hour if deemed necessary by their teacher.
When is Power Hour? Tuesday through Thursday for an
hour between periods 2 and 3 on blue days and periods 6 and 7 on gold days.
Why is there no Power Hour on Monday and Friday? On Mondays,
the whole school spends 20 minutes on the front end of 2nd or 6th period for START
(students taking academic responsibility time) Also, given our early release
schedule, we do not offer Power Hour on Fridays.
When will my student eat lunch? To reduce student
anxiety, Power Hour allows students to choose their own lunch time so they can
socialize with friends up to half of the hour and then get academic support or
participate in clubs for the remainder of the hour. Students are allowed
to eat where they choose and have done an outstanding job of cleaning up after
themselves in the past.
How will my student know when his/her teachers are available
for academic support? Each teacher will have a Power Hour schedule in his/her
window for easy student access. Teachers will also share their schedule
with students regularly during class. Teacher schedules will also be
online on the THS website under the ‘resources’ tab roughly 2 weeks into the
school year.
What activities and clubs are available during Power Hour? Most clubs and activities will be set and advertised after the first month of
school. Students can monitor the screens in the hallways for club
updates. In addition, clubs will be listed on the Power Hour page on the THS
website, as well as bulletin boards on each floor. Updates will occur
regularly. With that said, basketball games regularly take place in the gym and
the climbing wall is also open. There is also information on club meetings times,
dates and locations that can be accessed on the THS ASB link.
How will Power Hour help my student? We want all
students to feel part of the THS Community by joining at least one club or
activity. We want all students to demonstrate a Commitment to academics
by accessing teachers for academic support. We want all students to demonstrate
Character by making good academic choices during PH and by cleaning up after
themselves.
Can students be assigned Power Hour by a teacher? Yes!
Teachers closely monitor student grades and all students with D and F grades
are assigned Power Hour by the teacher. In addition, teachers may assign Power
Hour if the student has a test/quiz/project to make up or if the teacher deems
it necessary based on student progress. Teachers will invite students to attend
Power Hour. If the student doesn't show up for Power Hour, the teacher will
assign your student Power Hour and slip will be given to your student so he/she
can easily remember. If a student does not show up to an assigned Power
Hour, it will be rescheduled one time and you will be contacted. If the
student doesn't show, an administrator will assign consequences and work out a
plan.
How can I support my student in his/her use of Power Hour? There
are several ways you can support your student regarding Power Hour,
including: Remind your student of the following: All teachers have signs
up in their windows so kids can easily check to see when each teacher is
available during Power Hour. Clubs will be added throughout the year, so
students should check the hallways monitors regularly for new club offerings
and listen to announcements. Kids who are involved in their school learn
valuable Future Ready skills and have higher graduation rates. Visiting
teachers during Power Hour is a great way to catch up after an absence.
Finally, please regularly encourage your child to access his/her teachers
during PH and to join a club so he/she feels part of the THS community. A great
way to check on your student’s plans for power hours is to have them share
their START plan with you.
Who do I contact with Power Hour questions? Please
contact Associate Principal Chris Feist [email protected]