AHS holds first Collaboration Day

Wisna'Odom Keo

Freshman Alexander Vu studies in the gym during Collaboration Day.

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Wisna’Odom Keo, Staff Writer
September 28, 2010
Filed under News, Story of the Day, Top Stories

On Sept. 22, freshmen enter the school to experience their first collaboration day. There, they gather in an auditorium to start a new learning experience.

“I don’t really understand what collaboration days are,” said freshmen Kelsey Jones.

Collaboration days are days that help freshmen get used to a high school life. Freshmen gather with their counselor or gather in the auditorium to learn better study habits, how to get a good college degree, and other things that can relate to making a freshmen students high school, and life beyond that, better.

English 10 teacher, Brian Aldenderfer says, “Collaboration days help freshmen get acclimated to high school and it lets sophomores, juniors, and seniors get some extra sleep.”

“I don’t like collaboration days because it seems unfair that other people get to sleep in while we freshmen have to come in early,” said freshmen Gabriel Lajenef.

While freshmen have to come to school early, the sophomores, juniors and seniors get to sleep in. Instead of having school start at 7:30 a.m. like the freshmen, the sophomores, juniors, and seniors start school one hour later, at 8:30 a.m. Any sophomores, juniors, or seniors that come earlier than that wait in the gym until 8:30 a.m.

“I don’t really enjoy sitting around doing nothing [during collaboration days],” said sophomore Paul Buckley. And when asked if he thought collaboration days were necessary, he said, “Not really.”

Junior Amin Elgarch comes in early. He enjoys collaboration days because he “has nothing to do.”

“[I like collaboration days because] it gives me time to read and talk,” said senior Marissa Vigano. “I don’t think collaboration days are necessary but I like them.”

Collaboration days aren’t only beneficial to students, but to teachers as well.

“Collaboration days allow teachers to meet during contract hours to determine means by which to assess and effectively prepare students for the rigors of the classroom and the world outside of high school,” said Aldenderfer.

Collaboration days are days that benefit all people in AHS. Students and staff are both able to find ways to improve their experience at the school.

“Everyone puts their time in,” said counselor Emarinn Oundee. “It’s good we developed this program for freshmen. It helps give everyone extra time to do what they need.”