At Concordia Academy, we remain committed to our mission, which is to lead, teach, and inspire students to become all that God would have them be. We also believe in educating and supporting the holistic student in a transformational learning environment. It’s because of these commitments, that in 2024, our administrative team engaged in extensive educational and adolescent research. Through that research, it became evident that it was time to create a more student-centric bell schedule, to adapt to the needs of our current generation of students.
Coincidentally, while conducting this research, CA students were simultaneously writing argumentative research papers focused on areas in which they wanted to see change and improvement for CA. We found that their concerns and research mirrored much of ours, which helped to solidify the need for change.
These research-backed changes to the daily bell schedule will be starting in the fall of 2025 and include the exciting elements and benefits that are detailed below.
A Later Start
Monday-Thursday, the school day will begin at 8:35 am.
What does the research say & how does this help our students?
- Studies show that schools starting at 8:30 AM or later allow for more than 60% of students to get at least 8 hours of sleep per school night.
- During puberty, youth undergo a shift in their circadian rhythms, making it harder to fall asleep at night.
- According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 13-18 year olds should sleep 8-10 hours per day.
- Teens getting less than 8 hours of sleep reported significantly higher depression symptoms, made greater use of caffeine, and had a higher risk for drug/alcohol use.
- Later school start times correlate with improved mood, better attendance/grades, and fewer car crashes among youth.
- Academic performance outcomes and attendance rates are significantly improved with the later start times.
- Many schools have and are moving to later school start times in response to this scientific research.
The Beacon Block
This 30-minute block will be scheduled after the first block of the day, Monday-Thursday.
What will occur during this time?
- Chapel: For decades, chapel has been the heart of student life at Concordia Academy, so it only makes sense that it’s also the heart of the Beacon Block. On Mondays and Thursdays, chapel will be our Beacon Block activity. It will continue to feature music by our student worship team and messages from staff, alumni, pastors, and guests.
- Weekly Academic Support: The Beacon Block will provide intentional time to do homework/assignments, complete makeup assessments & work, get additional help from teachers, study for assessments, work with peers on projects/group work, etc.
- Educational Assemblies: Time will be provided to address a wide range of student-centric topics from a Christian worldview, such as vocation, mental and physical health and wellness, and social issues.
- Student/Program Highlights: This time will support student accomplishments through play/musical previews, demonstrations and showcase opportunities for student programs (dance, music, cohorts, etc.), club/service project presentations, etc.
- Cohort Conversations: This award-winning program will continue to provide STEM, arts, and humanities career exposure to students.
- Guidance Sessions: The Beacon Block will allow time to address guidance, college, and career topics.
- Student Enrichment Activities & Club Meetings: Students will pick from a variety of teacher-supported enrichment activities (e.g., book reads, cooking sessions, discussion groups, art sessions, etc.) or clubs.
- Family Life Groups: Family Life Group meetings provide an important opportunity for our students to care for one another, spend time discussing faith, enjoy fellowship, and pray for each other. These twice-monthly meetings will take place during the Beacon Block.
How will the Beacon Block be helpful?
This wide range of intentional programming is meant to foster student belonging and connection while educating and supporting the holistic student. What does research say about the importance of student belonging and connection in high school?
- It supports students’ success and wellness. Student belonging and connection are predictive of students’ motivation, social well-being, classroom behavior, academic self-efficacy, happiness, psychological functioning, self-esteem, and identity development.
- It supports student belonging and connection. Recent data indicates that almost 40% of US high school students do not feel connected to school, pointing to curricular and school structures that fail to engage and support students. This widespread disengagement is crucial and calls for enhancing students’ sense of belonging in schools. We believe this new bell schedule model and robust school-day programming for students will help to address this issue.
- It supports mental health. Anxiety, depression, and hospitalization for suicidal thoughts among adolescents is on the rise, with one in ten American teens attempting suicide every year. The long-term impact of school connectedness is profound: students who feel connected to their school show lower levels of drug abuse, mental health issues, and violent behavior or victimization in adulthood.
- It supports students’ relationships. More time in the day for student connection also means more opportunities for students to interact with trusted teachers and staff in meaningful settings, strengthening bonds and enhancing the overall school experience.
Consistency
Classes will now meet during consistent 75-minute class periods.
How is this a change from the current schedule?
- In any given week, we currently have at least three different schedules, each with unique class lengths and start and end times. In this new schedule, blocks will be a consistent 75-minute length Monday-Thursday.
- A 75-minute length means that classes will start and end at times that fall in even 5-minute increments (e.g., 10:25 or 12:20) instead of times such as 9:22 or 1:03 in our current schedule.
How does this help?
- It maximizes teaching and learning within our block schedule.
- Consistent block times, passing periods, and lunchtimes support student and teacher routines.
- A more consistent schedule supports our College On Campus program and college course scheduling.
Late Start Fridays
School will start at 8:55 am every Friday.
What is the purpose of the Late Start?
- Teachers will meet every Friday morning before school starts to collaborate and engage in professional development. Research shows that regular and ongoing professional development and collaboration are keys to having a high-performing school.
- While teachers will still meet and plan during times outside of Friday mornings, the consistent weekly Friday morning meetings will be focused on key initiatives and continuous improvements for academics. In addition, moving to this model ensures all of our teachers are together at the same time, free from coaching responsibilities and other extracurricular activities.
FAQ
Campus will be open at 7:30 AM each day.
On Monday-Thursday, school will start at 8:35 am. On Fridays, school will start at 8:55 am.
School will end each day at 3:00 pm.
Yes! Just as with our current schedule, our eight blocks will be split between Green Days and White Days, with four blocks meeting each day.
This will be included in our CA Update weekly email before the end of the school year.
It’s possible that some activities will meet before the start of the school day. For example, if an athlete has a morning lift, this would replace the afternoon lift and shorten their practice time after school, allowing them to get home earlier than they previously would have. At times, morning activities may replace after-school activities altogether, taking into account travel from games, academic expectations, and facility schedules for all Concordia programs.
Yes, eligible students will still be able to obtain parent permission for a release.
Yes, this route will still continue, and new pickup times will be communicated later this year.
Because the Beacon Block is a key time for academic support and fostering student connection, seniors will be required to attend Beacon Block programming.
Student-led activities, like Prayer and Praise and Bible studies, will continue to meet during lunch.