Period added to new schedule

In response to feedback from students, parents and faculty, the administration announced changes to  the proposed schedule for the 2011-2012 school year, including an additional class period and a longer school day, to faculty and staff on Mar. 23.

While the new schedule will still be a five-day rotation with two days of 75-min block periods, the all-school office hours period will be shorter and there will now be eight class periods instead of seven, allowing more students to have a free period.

Assistant Head of School and Director of Upper School Laura Hotchkiss said that the administration made the decision to reinstate a free period based on concerns about the availability of teachers and quiet study space during all-school free time.

Hotchkiss said that the new schedule now addresses both these new concerns and the issues that initially inspired the schedule overhaul, including homework load, use of class time and the pace of the school day.

“We feel that this is a compromise that still allows us to think about teaching and learning in new and creative ways,” Hotchkiss said.

Students should expect to receive more information about the new schedule in course planning meetings after spring break.

-Heather ’11

Merit Finalists recognized

Yael  ’11, Lauren ’11, Laura ’11, Shari ’11 and Amy  ’11  qualified as finalists for the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program, a high school academic competition for recognition and college scholarships.

The program, administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a privately funded, not-for-profit organization, recognized finalists out of the 1.5 million entrants, due to their high PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index scores in critical reading, mathematics and writing skills.

Lauren said that this honor has not significantly affected her personal academic endeavors and college process.

“My family and I have kind of approached the college process as if I were not a National Merit Finalist,” Lauren said. “In other words, I have been approaching my academics the same way: I’ve been striving to do the best I possibly can.”

-Sophie ’13

Hoffman earns doctorates

History and social sciences instructor Eryn Hoffman completed a combined program at USC on Feb. 2, receiving an Ed.D. (Doctor of Education) and a Ph.D. in History. Hoffman said she returned to the classroom as a student because she had always wanted to earn a Ph.D.

Hoffman received both doctorates while teaching full-time at Marlborough and taking care of her three-year-old son.  She said she was able to balance out all these responsibilities by staying organized.

“I’m very good with time management. Whenever I had free time, I would always allocate it to something that needed to be done, whether it was my job, my son or my schoolwork,” Hoffman said.

After four years of studying, taking tests and writing essays, Hoffman said she has a better understanding of the complicated juggling her students have to do.

“It gave me first-hand knowledge of how much Marlborough girls go through,” Hoffman said.

-Elyse ’12