Avery Cotton, Reporter
@averyccourant
At the beginning of each school year, many students find themselves drowning in stacks of homework. Meanwhile, their commitments to extracurricular activities like sports and performing arts further drain their mental energy and leave them with little bandwidth at the end of the school day. As a result, the school earmarked a half hour each week that allows students to receive extra help from their teachers — RAM Time.
This will be the second year that RAM Time will be implemented, albeit with some schedule modifications. Last year, RAM Time took place at the end of the day, whereas this year it occurs right after the end of first block. This comes in conjunction with changes to the Connections schedule, an emotional education session that has been around for many years — students this year have been assigned Connections groups that meet every other Friday, as opposed to simply participating in Connections activities in the classes that they are in during the time slot.
According to Principal William Egan, changes were made in order to streamline schedules for students and faculty members on Tuesdays and Fridays. “Last year, we had multiple different schedules with different times,” he said. “By making these changes, we wanted to align student schedules and reduce confusion. RAM Time, Connections, and Broadcasting are now all at the same point in the day.”
Last year, when RAM Time was scheduled for the end of the day, many students were beginning to feel beat down from the school day and were not able to use their time as effectively. “If RAM Time is at the end of the day, it feels like you can leave,” Mr. Egan said. “After one block, it’s different, because you think that you might as well get the help you need.”
The schedule changes made to Connections this year actually represent a return to normalcy. “Originally, everybody had Connections groups that they were assigned to, but during Covid, the schedule shifted so that Connections became part of whichever class students were in at that point in the day,” Mr. Egan said. “The purpose of Connections is to give every student the opportunity to connect with adults who are not their teachers. It provides an opportunity for students to build relationships with different people around the school.”
Though some students might initially feel a little awkward being placed into Connections classes with students that they’re unfamiliar with, Mr. Egan believes that this discomfort will be dispelled over time. “Students will become more open over time in Connections. I remember my first Connections group that I taught when I started working at the high school — by the time they were juniors and seniors, they enjoyed hanging out more,” he said. “The feeling of comfort and relatability with adults and kids in the room enhances conversations. Eventually, people will be more willing to share.”
So what do students think of these schedule changes? “I think RAM Time is better towards the end of day because you’ve had all of your classes and you’re more aware of what you need help with,” junior Adrián McMahon said. “Also, I think teachers should allow more locations to become available, which would make it easier to get help. A lot of the classrooms during RAM Time are usually pretty filled up, which discourages students from using it correctly.”
As for Connections, Adrián feels optimistic about these new changes. “In the past, I’ve often felt like Connections involved busy work — I didn’t feel like it was accomplishing anything and people didn’t take it seriously; also, the questions were general and didn’t tackle any issues,” Adrián said. “I think the class has the potential to foster friendships, as it encourages you to meet new people and forces you to have icebreakers with people you might not have otherwise spoken to. I definitely think I’ll get to know my classmates better, and I think Connections will be more useful this year than it has been in the past.”
This year, the Peer Mentors program was established to help freshmen acclimate to the high school and rise to meet any academic or social challenges that they might face. The mentors, all of whom are seniors, have been visiting Connections classes to help in any capacity they can. “I oversee the connections meetings the freshmen go to by attending most, if not all, Connections sessions,” senior and Peer Mentor Charlie Lampen said. “I’m there to help the students if they’re struggling academically, and generally give them any support or guidance they might need.”
According to ACES Teacher and Peer Mentor Program Director Nancy Stevens, “The seniors also help the teachers in these sessions and are on hand to answer students’ questions as they arise throughout the year.”
Ultimately, Connections and RAM Time are in place for the benefit of students. “RAM Time is a resource for kids. You get into RAM Time what you put into it, and if you use the time, it will be a great success,” Mr. Egan said. “And don’t be afraid to put yourself out there in Connections, as it’s an opportunity to connect with teachers and students on a particular theme.”
