Following the lead other schools who have recently adopted “Power Hour,” Chapman administration has now established its own policy: Panther Flex Time. 

Flex Time will take the place of what was previously Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) and will allow students time to get help from their teachers or get work done individually. 

“Last year we started talking about ways we can make SSR better,” Principal Andrew McMillan said. “We came up with the concept of basically taking SSR, doing away with it and calling it a flex time, giving students a 25-minute opportunity to go other places on campus.”

Students will have an opportunity to meet with teachers, coaches or clubs as well as explore opportunities provided by the media center. Giving students time to be productive during the day will help to decrease the time both students and teachers have to spend at school. 

An additional five minutes is added to SSR to create Flex Time, and that comes from ringing the first bell five minutes earlier. McMillan says that there will definitely have to be a grace period for students because the 8:05 start could prove challenging at first.

Another concern is that students won’t know what to do with this time. 

“It’s gotta happen organically and naturally,” McMillan said. “That’s really my main concern is this is something kids have never done. I’m afraid they won’t know what to do.”

He emphasized that this is one of many skills students need to learn before entering the workforce: to be productive with extra time rather than wasting it. McMillan hopes that students will quickly be able to take advantage of this time and be aware of what they need to get done. 

Flex Time will also be very beneficial for teachers; they can provide additional help for students who may not be able to stay after school due to bus schedules or other prior commitments.