Sophomore W Period
The first W period for the sophomores was joint with the freshmen and was a presentation about the 5 Goals of the Sacred Heart which featured multiple teachers presenting on each of the goals. The second W period for the sophomores was also with the freshman and offered skits with teachers to teach students to consider the reasons for and effects of cheating and persuade them not to do it. The third W period was a sophomore-grade Mass in the chapel with a priest from Saint Ignatius. The fourth W period was just sophomores and was about the quality of friendships that one can develop. The different types of friendships consisted of different levels from 1-6 and asked students to reflect on their relationships with the people around them. The most recent W period was led by the sophomore English department to connect with the current English unit about the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.
According to Ms. Lauren Benjamin, Assistant Principal for Mission and Culture, the main goal of W period is “for dedicating time to discuss topics that are not able to be discussed in the classroom … and to dedicate face-to-face time for teachers and students to work on things that would normally be a Schoology post.” This offers time for classmates and connects with teachers beyond the academic side. This way students can reflect on themselves, their relationships, and their personalities in a more personal connection and intimate space. Furthermore, she says it poses a space for the “stuff that is already identified as a need… but we haven’t had enough space because we prioritize academic classes.” One of Sacred Heart’s goals to educate students is to improve the whole student. While academics are the most important piece of our education we also have to acknowledge the personal growth and reflection piece that the W period accomplishes and works towards improving. W period is also “ framed around the question ‘what does it mean to be a Sacred Heart student?’” An example of face-to-face interaction during the W period is with service learning. While the W period might not be the most academic time, it does teach students about social lessons, health, and awareness. However, the W period can be used by academic departments as well. For example, in the most recent W period, because the sophomore class is reading Frederick Douglass’s account of his experience of enslavement, the sophomore English team led a W period featuring episode 3 of the acclaimed Netflix series, High on the Hog which examines the influence of enslaved people in the food that we eat today, and which has largely been ignored for years. The period also included reflection on family food traditions and journaling. Ms. B also acknowledged that “ [she] understands that students have things that they are going through and won't always like W period.” But she says that constructive feedback will help improve the period so everyone will enjoy it as well as teach the topics for students' “needs.”
According to Logan Mills ‘25 “instead of W period, students can spend time with teachers and have extra office hours during the day, so then we can all be better in our studies.” While W period is a new addition to the schedule, and there are pros, the majority of students we spoke to would prefer another gator block to seize other opportunities.
Kate Ragatz ‘25 said “While I do like the idea of W period, I think the space could be used much more efficiently to best benefit SHP students.” She believes that community life and appreciating each other are important, but also thinks that this time during the day is valuable and can be used for students to excel in academics. She also suggests that in order to improve the W periods, “she would love to see more activities that benefit students in ways other than sit-down presentations” and also wants to “see ways in which students can relate to things.” A lot of the presentations are teachers trying to teach typical important principles. But new things that students have not learned about might be a new way for educators to approach W period.
Lastly, Thomas Moldow ‘25 has not enjoyed the W period. He said, “It is not helpful whatsoever. I can't recall a time when I have come out of the W period having learned something valuable about our community. It is time that could be much better used for students to catch up on work or study for a test.” He believes that the W period was an unnecessary addition to the schedule and community life gatherings explore the main points of the W period.
Overall, the W period was originally a good idea, but after a couple of months, has proven to be a time that can be better used doing other activities.
