The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Editor's Note: The Mountaineer had four students from the Personal Finance Class job shadow last week. As part of the assignment we asked them to pick a topic and write an article, complete with interviews and pictures. This is their article.

In the school year of 2015, Big Sandy Public Schools changed their five day school week into a four day school week. This has had a huge impact on the students, parents, staff, administration, and overall community of Big Sandy. This important change has affected sports and other extracurricular activities in a large number of ways. However, everyone has a different view and opinion on this topic. We have interviewed parents, administration, staff, and students to see their view on whether or not we should keep it around.

We have interviewed Mrs. Brumwell, the high school's math teacher and counselor, for the opinion of the staff. Like most people Mrs. Brumwell enjoys time to relax, so she favors the four day week because of the three day weekend. It does make her schedule as a teacher a little more difficult due to the tight schedule. She feels that the cons of the four day week includes, a shorter lunch hour, difficulty of attending extracurricular activities after school, and harder schedule for homework. Although, she feels there are plenty of benefits to the four day week as well. She enjoys how the attendance record has improved due to easier appointment scheduling and how the week goes by faster. The four day school week has pros and cons to all the teachers and effects them greatly.

For the opinion of an administrator we have interviewed Mrs. Wolery. Mrs. Wolery is the Big Sandy school's principal. Mrs. Wolery is in full favor of the four day school week. She believes that there are plenty of benefits from this schedule and could not think of any problems. She favors the fact that students miss less school due to sports, attendance and grades have improved in the last four years, and time becomes more valuable.

She believes that students and teachers waste less time because they need to get more done in a little less time period. She feels as a mom she has more time with her children while still feeling that she is doing a good job at work. Mrs. Wolery enjoys the four day school week and expects it to stay as scheduled for a long time.

For a parent, we have interviewed Mrs. Lisa Sipler. She had a positive attitude towards the four day week. She feels that the four day week gives her kids more time for homework, extracurricular activities, appointments, and family events. Other parents however; may not favor the four day school week because they may not have a daycare on Fridays for their children while they are at work. Although Mrs. Sipler quoted,

"School is not a daycare". Mrs. Sipler also thinks that attendance has improved because students seem to have a better attitude towards school. For parents the four day school week seems to be in their favor for a number of reasons.

These four students worked on the article, l to r: Travis Pegar, Brady Pleninger, Abriana Blanton, and Alicia Bjornestad.

For our student, we interviewed Miss. Andrea Rutledge. When asked what she prefered she stated that she prefers the four day school week but said, "I don't think most curriculum is accustomed to teaching in an hour long class period, especially math classes". She also continuously said that she has a problem with not having access to her teachers. She focuses on the fact that she only gets to speak with them four days a week, instead of five. This hurts her due to the fact that she is absent often for school activities, and if she does not understand something, she cannot speak to the teacher or ask for help. On the subject of how this new schedule affects extracurricular activities, she pronounced that FFA is probably most affected by the change because it takes place on school days. She then goes from having four days to convey with her teachers, to three. She believes that the new schedule affects everyone differently, however. "Everyone's learning and desire to learn is on different levels, and I don't have an accurate gauge on how they would be progressing with the four day school week," she said. Due to her answers, it can be assumed that although the four day school week has its problems and can be improved, students enjoy having an extra day off of school that gives them time to take a break from the stress of school, so that they can return the following Monday excited and refreshed.

The Big Sandy Schools have successfully acquired a four day school week. There seems to be pros and cons to every decision made.It seems that the Big Sandy community favors the four day school week. The four day week betters academics, attendance, behavior, extracurricular activities, family events, appointments, and overall attitude towards school. Although there are negative accounts towards the four day week as well including, less time for after school activities, shortened lunch, access to teachers, and daycare issues on Fridays. The four day week has affected almost everyone in the community including teachers, administrators, parents, and most of all students. Hopefully the four day school week continues to better our community and education systems.