School has started for the 2017-2018 school year and you may have noticed some changes throughout the district. Most notable, Wayne High School has moved from a traditional seven-period day to a 5 x 5 block schedule. In a 5 x 5 block the school start and end times remain the same but the students have five longer classes per day. The first day (A-day) the students have five classes, the second day (B-day) students have five different classes. The block allows the school to offer additional classes not available in the past.

One critical class we have added this year is Badger Academy. This class is for 9th graders who are making the pivotal transition into high school. As they face the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual challenges of this stage of development, it is easy for them to feel overwhelmed, confused and alone. Research suggests that students who navigate this transition into high school successfully are far more likely to stay in school and graduate than those who struggle.

Many of the freshman academies that do exist in other schools have reported great success. According to research some positives of freshman academies include improvements in attendance, school behavior, teacher morale, and parental contact. Students also realize increased academic success as can be seen from the reduction of freshman class failures and an increase in scores on standardized tests.

Mrs. Shannon Robertson is teaching the Badger Academy. She has high expectations for the incoming freshman and hope to encourage study skills, academic success skills, stress management, and social/life skills. The 9th grade class is already a valued part of Wayne High. Many of them are members of teams and clubs. It is hoped Badger Academy will help them reach new heights.