By Myesha Evans ‘12

MMSA cadets will have a new schedule next year.  Starting in September, the schedule they are going to is the A-B Block.  The A-B Block is when you only go to a few of your classes each day for longer periods of time.  "The A-B block will maximize participation in all classes not just the core subjects." Principal Stroh said.  "Students will also have more courses to choose."

A student from Phoenix Military Academy who has experienced the A-B Block schedule commented “The A-B block schedule is a great thing. Instead of going to all my classes in one day, it’s divided up between the week and it works perfectly fine for me.” The A-B block schedule may seem a little confusing in the beginning but sooner or later you will catch the hang of it.

How the A-B Block Schedule will work for MMSA cadets:

·        Each cadet will have 7 class periods.

·        The letter A represents even classes (Periods 2-4-6) and B represents odd classes (Periods 1-3-5).

·        7^th Period will be everyday for 45 minutes. Most students will have JROTC during this time.

·         Monday will be rotated between even and odd day classes each week.

·         Tuesdays& Thursdays will be the even number days that cadets will report to their 2^nd,4^th, and 6^th period classes for 90 minutes and 7^th period for 45 minutes.  

·        Wednesday& Friday will be the odd number classes, cadets will report to their 1^st, 3^rd and 5^th period classes for 90 minutes, and 7^th period for 45 minutes.

·        Students will have a 20 minute lunch period each day. Students will also have formation in the middle of the day for 20 minutes led by the JROTC Instructors.  This was done to increase attendance at formation: a time where the Counselor, Dean, Athletic Director and JROTC Instructors can give cadets important information they need to know.

School starts at 8:00am for all MMSA cadets; each cadet gets out at 2:26 pm and will have the choice of going home or staying for an event in school.

Under the A/B block students will take the same classes year round.  This will allow students to take more half credit electives as well as get important classes like Math and English year-round instead of for only a semester under the 4X4 block.

“I think A-B block schedule is the best organization for MMSA cadets” said Mrs. Levin.  Students should be use to the longer periods, since they now take 85 minute classes everyday under the current 4x4 block schedule.