Back to School
Pierce High School started off yet another great school year on Monday, August 16. School opened with 338 students in grades seven through twelve. This year’s seniors are the smallest class with 49; sophomores are the largest class with 64. Besides incoming seventh graders and ninth graders from Zion Lutheran School, there are eight new students. Two new teachers and a student teacher round out the new citizens at PHS.
As usual there are changes in rules and procedures this year. The biggest change is the new schedule. Students may enter the building at 7:40 a.m. with Encore beginning at 7:50 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. Period one runs 8:15 a.m. until 9:45 a.m., period two runs 9:49 a.m. until 11:19 a.m., period three runs 11:23 a.m. until 1:23 p.m. (during this 120 minute–2 hour period, each student is in a class for 90 minutes and lunch for 30 minutes). Period four runs 1:27 p.m. until 2:57 p.m. Reading period is now at the end of the day, 3:01 p.m. until 3:20 p.m. Access time for students to confer with faculty is 7:50 a.m. until 8:15 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. until 3:50 p.m.
Principal Mark Brahmer said, “I thought that the first week went quite smoothly. We have a great student body and a tremendous staff to work with them, so I’m very excited for the school year.”
Another change is early outs. There are fifteen Mondays throughout the year when students get out at 1:15 p.m. to provide time for teacher workshops.
The John Baylor ACT prep course is now a requirement for any Pierce High student taking the ACT test. The prep course is to help our students do well on the ACT and give them a better chance of getting a higher score. Guidance counselor Mary Birch said that there is a marked improvement among students who take a prep course before taking the ACT usually about a two-point increase.
Failing is not an option at Pierce High. Any student who fails a test is required to retake the test until he or she gets a passing grade (65%).
Students were reminded that Pierce High does not tolerate bullying, whether it is verbal or physical. Any student who witnesses someone being bullied or is the one being bullied is encouraged to tell the bully to stop or report the behavior to a teacher or Mr. Brahmer right away so that it is dealt with. Anyone caught bullying another student will face suspension.
The school year started with an assembly where the students were informed of the new procedures, and now classes are in full swing. The first teacher workshop had been scheduled for Monday, August 30, but the early out has been cancelled for that day because of the later beginning of elementary classes.
