Flex Fridays
One of the most unique aspects of Patriot High School is our "Flex Friday" model. Fridays ARE REQUIRED for all students and attendance IS TAKEN, but, instead of attending their regular schedule, each student has a special schedule made to reflect their specific needs and interests. Quarterly, students sign up for Friday Pathway Design classes, focusing on student and career interest. These classes meet only on Fridays all morning, allowing students to engage in deep and meaningful work, often times going off campus. Examples of these classes include Building Gaming Computers, Elementary School Internships, Murder Mystery Dinner Design, and Mural Design, just to name a few. Each week, students create their Flex Friday afternoon schedules with their advisors, focused on tutoring, clubs or off-campus activities. Although the weekly class offerings change throughout the year, this process for creating a Flex Friday schedule involves the following priorities:
- Students must attend "tutoring" periods for any class that they are currently failing.
- Students assigned to "skills acquisition / focus groups" must attend to get extra help in that academic area (reading, writing, math).
- Special time set aside for schoolwide assessments (STAR 360, ThinkCERCA, ASVAB, etc).
- ICAP classes (grade-level specific)
- Career guest speakers / field trips
- Clubs and activities
All students are released on Fridays at 1:30 pm, giving PHS staff the opportunity to engage in important Professional Learning. Additionally, students who make the prestigious "Dean's List" for the week may earn the right to leave after the Pathway Design course at 11:30 am. Dean's List is assigned weekly and students must have the following:
- No failing classes
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- 90% or higher year-to-date attendance
- No behavior issues
- Are caught up with their ICAP requirements (classwork AND career-themed events)