Why Explore a Four-Day School Week?
Our district exists to meet the educational needs of families who choose North Shore Plaza or Berthold. With 74% of survey respondents expressing interest in exploring a four-day school week, I believe we owe it to our families to give the idea serious consideration.
Our responsibility is to determine whether we can develop a plan that supports continued academic growth while providing families with the flexibility they desire.
Survey #2 --> https://forms.gle/mCwEV2hsr63kBcYn9
Four-Day Calendar --> https://aptg.co/kxMhS-
Four-Day School Week Basic Plan
The following information describes the basic daily schedules and Friday programming under a four-day school week.
Under this plan, the school day will be lengthened Monday-Thursday. The plan provides families with optional Friday services, including childcare, meals, transportation, and opportunities for academic enrichment and intervention.
We'll submit a more detailed version to the Board at the November meeting. Click this link to see the TIMELINE--> https://www.lewisandclark.k12.nd.us/article/3206158
School Day: Mon.-Thurs.
7:40 – Doors Open
8:00-3:30 – High School Day
1064 hours/year
1050 hours/year (state minimum)
8:10-3:15 – Elementary Day
1000 hours/year
962.5 hours/year (state minimum)
7:40-4:00 – Teacher Day
7:40-3:40 – Support Staff Day
Transportation
Morning and afternoon bus service will be available Monday-Friday.
Meals
Breakfast and lunch will be provided Monday-Friday.
Longhorn Practices:
Mon.-Thurs. In our co-op sports, students bused to Berthold or Plaza will be dismissed at 3:15. The high school will have homeroom from 3:15-3:30, so this won’t interfere with instructional time.
Fridays – Practice times will be determined by the Athletic Director and coaches. Teams are allowed to practice during the day if it works for the coaches and players.
Two Types of Friday Programming – Both are voluntary and require advance registration to allow for appropriate planning and staffing.
FLEX PROGRAM– ALL Fridays will have the FLEX option.
· Student supervision provided.
· Planned activities are dependent on number and ages of students attending.
ENRICHMENT & INTERVENTION (E&I) – One Friday per month will be an E&I Day.
E&I FRIDAYS: A Teacher’s Day
· Teachers would have a structured but flexible workday focused on meeting student needs while allowing time for professional responsibilities.
o 7:40–9:00: Staff meetings, professional development, collaboration, and planning.
o 9:00–12:00: Small-group interventions, individual student support, enrichment activities, testing, and IEP meetings.
o 12:00–12:30: Lunch
o 12:30–2:30: Student support, preparation, collaboration, and classroom organization.
o 2:30-4:00: Teacher Preparation/Collaboration Meeting
E&I Fridays: A Student’s Day
· Unlike a traditional school day, students would not be required to attend a full day or follow a regular classroom schedule. Instead, they could attend specific sessions based on their academic needs and interests.
· Although students E&I Day is highly dependent on his or her individual needs and grade level a sample student's day might include:
o 9:00–10:00: Reading or math intervention, or an individual music lesson.
o 10:00–11:00: STEM/robotics, LEGO engineering, or creative arts.
o 12:30–1:30: Outdoor education, social skills, art, or enrichment.
o 1:30–2:30: Additional academic support, hands-on learning, or enrichment activities.
· Some students might attend for only 30 minutes or an hour, while others could participate in several sessions throughout the day.