New changes came for everyone as the school year started. From new classes, to new friends, even moving up one grade level changed a lot. However, one of the biggest changes: a new class taking up the block which once held the “love it or hate it” CLB.

The block in between blocks 2 and 3 hosts an all new customized learning block that has yet to adopt a formal name. This block functions as a mix between advisory and a study hall where students can go to a teacher that they may be missing work from or struggling in their class to get help. However, not all students believe that this block will be beneficial to them. Junior Jake Pierce claims that this year’s block will not be as helpful.

“I strongly dislike this decision,” said Pierce. “I enjoyed it last year more. I am much more of a fan of reading than being forced to do work.”

Pierce claims that CLB is not the time to do work, but instead, a time to use a technique learned back at Biddeford Middle School, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens.

“You need the Seven Habits, you have to sharpen the saw,” said Pierce. “And CLB is the time to sharpen that saw.”

According to Pierce, the new system will not benefit him as he does not believe that work should be done during CLB.

“I can do work any time, this idea doesn’t really matter because I can do work at home and I can get help during or after class,” Pierce said.

Pierce believed that it will not benefit him, but it may benefit other people, but only if it was the student’s choice where they went.

“You should be able to choose to read or to go get help,” said Pierce. “Reading is important too, and we should be able to do that instead.”

While Pierce may believe that he will not get the option to read, that is not the case. Principal Jeremie Sirois explains that there will be a reading CLB along with the new schedule. 

“Kids that really like the reading, there are still designated teachers on every day who are going to have that reading course,” said Sirois. “There are at least two or three open blocks like that where students can go and read, so they still have that, but nobody is assigned to it.”

Some students, such as junior Dylan Lamare, believe that the new block will be beneficial as they will not be forced to read, but rather have the ability to get work done in that class, something most teachers wouldn’t let students do in previous years.

“I’d rather do the new thing [CLB replacement] because reading isn’t that fun. If I don’t have to do it, that’s great,” Lamare said.

Lamare also believes that people that do not get work done benefit, but he claims to not be one of those people. 

“It will help people that don’t have anything missing, but I can usually keep on top of it, so I don’t know what I’ll be doing,” Lamare said.

The new schedule was created by Sirois and he believes that it will greatly help all of the students at Biddeford High School.

“We’re designing it to meet your needs rather than designing a block just so kids can read or do math, so now we’re giving you options,” Sirois said.

Sirois explained that the new schedule will be the same time-span as CLB but focuses on catering towards the students rather than just reading and math.

“If you’re in class and you’re struggling with Chemistry, you now have the ability to have your adviser book you into Mr. Bamani’s or Ms. Shaw’s for the block,” Sirois said.

Despite this new CLB block being Sirois’s idea, the basis started from a schedule that other schools already adopted.

“In our exploring other schools, we went to Hall-Dale [high school], we went to Noble, we went to some other schools,” said Sirois. “When we went down to Noble, they were using this program. At Noble, they were using SSR (Similar to our CLB) and it was not working.”

Sirois explains how Noble High School was able to fix their program by switching it.

“They switched to this program and all of a sudden, things changed,”  Kids had choice, kids bought into the name that they called it, and they had very few issues around that time.”

However, not every day will students spend with teachers or reading. Sirois explains other options that students have during this block.

“If they [students] need to meet with their guidance counselor, they can book for a guidance appointment,” said Sirois. “They can book themselves for the library if they need to get a research project done. We’re probably going to run a college essay one as well, so with this program we can do a lot of different things with it.”

Sirois believes that this program will greatly benefit BHS as a school and truly allow all students to get the education that they deserve. He believes that while CLB was great for students, the new block will improve even that for the optimum assistance and education possible. The block will start on Wednesday, September 23rd.

“Getting people reading help was a huge step in the right direction. Getting people math help was a huge step in the right direction,” said Sirois. “Now, this is a huge step even further in that direction where we can get you the help that you need, not the help that we think you need.”