3. Learn How Your School Day Is Structured

3. School Day Structure & Start Time

Students at Dana Middle will participate in a 360 minute school day five days a week. See below for a schedule with bell times:

Monday - Friday

Course 1

7:40-8:54

Passing

9 min

Course 2

9:03-10:17

Passing 

9 min

Course 3

10:26-11:40

Passing 

9 min

LUNCH 

11:49-12:19

Passing 

9 min 

“Flex Time”

12:28-2:21

IMPORTANT: Notice how Period 1, 2 and 3 (Course 1,2, and 3) are listed and Period 4, 5, and 6 are missing. Students will attend ONLY Period 1, 2, and 3 for the first nine weeks of school. They will switch to Period 4,5, and 6 for the second nine weeks of school. See below for more information regarding how 9 week quarters are structured.

 

Our school day will begin at 7:40 AM (our normal start time) and end at 2:21 PM. Students will participate in both synchronous and asynchronous learning activities every day. We will continue to follow this schedule when we return to on-site learning.

 

The 360 minute day will be organized as follows:

Whole Group / Small

Group Live Instruction 

Small Group and Conferring/ Office Hours

Flex/Asynchronous Learning

180 Minutes

  • Community Building
  • Content-Specific lesson OR review
  • Synchronous practice/ activities
  • Small group targeted instruction

60 Minutes

  • Small group targeted instruction
  • Digital feedback
  • Video Conferencing
  • Office Hours

120 Minutes

  •  Asynchronous learning for students
  • Flex and Preparation Time for Teachers
  • PLC, 504, IEP, and Staff Meetings

Whole Group and Small Group activities will take place during the class time each morning. Activities associated with Flex/Asynchronous Learning will take place during the “Flex Time” block in the schedule above.

School Year Structure

Secondary schools in the San Diego Unified School District have moved from a traditional semester system to a “quarter” system for the 2020-21 school year. 

In a traditional two Semester structure, the school year is organized into two separate eighteen week elements.  A student takes the first half of a class from September until January. A final grade reflecting the work completed at this point is issued. Students complete the second half of the course during the same period with the same teacher between January and June. A second final grade is awarded at the end of the school year. Each semester is eighteen weeks long.

 In a four Quarter structure, the school year is organized into four separate nine week elements. A student will complete the first half of the course between September and mid-October (Q1). The second half of the course will be completed between January and mid-April (Q3). In between these courses, the student will complete an additional subject with a separate teacher (Q2 & Q4). Students will participate in math, language arts, social studies, science, pe, and an elective over the course of the year.

Bell Rotation - Quarterly
Q1 Aug 31 - Oct 30
Q2 Nov 2 - Jan 22
Q3 Jan 25 - Apr 9
Q4 Apr 12 - June 15

 The length of each course is shortened, but the length of each period is increased. Our teachers are collaborating with colleagues and the central office to adjust scope and sequence to address this change.

Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.