Students experienced the first mandatory tutorial at the Consent Assembly and safe driving assembly on Oct. 7.
Because the new schedule does not fulfill state requirements for the number of instructional minutes students are required to be in school, nine mandatory tutorials have been spread throughout the year to compensate for time lost due to the new-five day rotation schedule.
The day began at 8:00 a.m. with students attending their second and fifth period classes before having mandatory tutorial. Principal Brent Daniels said that one of the focuses of the first mandatory tutorial was to help students and faculty become familiar with it.
“There [were] actually a lot of moving parts,” Daniels said. “Because it is a shift in school culture, we [wanted] it to be successful.”
The first mandatory tutorial consisted of two assemblies attended by two separated sections of the student body. Freshmen and seniors attended the Consent Assembly while juniors and sophomores attended the “It Can Wait!” assembly on safe driving.
The student body was split between two assemblies targeted at their current situations, Daniels said. The Consent Assembly was presented to freshmen because they are just entering high school and to seniors because they will soon be going to college. The safe driving assembly was presented to sophomores and juniors who are or will soon be eligible to get their drivers’ licences.
The “It Can Wait!” Assembly was held in the Binks Gym. It consisted of two speakers, Piedmont Chief of Police Rikki Goede and a registered nurse who works with car crash victims in the trauma unit.
Goede talked about legal issues surrounding teens driving as well as her own experiences with car crashes while on the job. The nurse shared her experiences treating crash victims and talked about adolescent brain development in relation to driving.
“The overall goal was to help teens realize that there are a lot of reasons why driving with distractions is dangerous,” said Parents’ Club President Katie Korotzer, who took part in planning the event.
After the assembly, sophomores and juniors were encouraged to sign a pledge against texting while driving. The pledges were given to students in their English classes and will be posted in a public place on campus.
“It will remind me that there are really terrible things that can happen if you are looking at your phone,” said sophomore Elisa Glauber, who signed the pledge. “Even if I think something is important, it’s not as important as risking your life and other peoples’ lives.”
“It’s a good assembly to have,” senior Liam Schindler said. “I don’t think a reminder is ever going to be a problem.”
Daniels said that future mandatory tutorials will consist of student work time as well as a co-curriculum focused on building community and  global citizenry. They will include programs such as Service Learning and rallies.
“It’s an opportunity for the student body to be together and have a shared experience,” Daniels said.
With the changing schedule, Daniels said that the school is working to create a four-year program that will include activities such as the Consent and “It Can Wait!” Assemblies to inform the student body.