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Flex Wednesdays are a brand new concept being introduced to Bowling Green High, with a variety of impacts on both teachers and students. Flex days have thrown many people for a loop, confusing students and teachers alike with things such as class times and lunchtimes. Flex days could simply be a fad, that the school will eventually forget. However, it could be something that motivates students to try new things, or to discover new interests. To truly grasp the positives and negatives of this situation, it's best to start from the beginning.
According to Head Principal, Kyle McGraw, the idea was presented by the principals over the summer, in order to teach students things they wouldn’t normally be taught in high school. “We just thought it was a good idea to give kids some fun things that they could look forward to throughout the school year, but also to be able to teach students about things in unique ways that they need for life after high school and even during,” McGraw stated.
The school plans to have five more themed Flex days throughout the school year. They consist of classes about self-care, giving back to the community, cultural celebrations, practical living skills, and college signings, along with job fairs.
McGraw stated, “It’s money well spent. When we can give kids experiences we can't in these school building walls, I think that it’s a good use of school funds.”
With only a couple months in and two Flex Wednesdays already passed, McGraw has spoken highly of how successful they’ve been so far. He even anticipates that they will be continued next year, and the following year.
The first Flex Wednesday consisted of a Community Lunch. The whole school ate lunch together and was allowed to eat anywhere on the first floor of the school. It was quite hectic, with extremely long lunch lines, making it difficult to get lunch before it was all gone.
“Of course we knew there were things we needed to clean up after the first one. There were a few things that were crazy,” McGraw stated. He also mentioned his belief that over time, students will learn the ropes, and that administration had even extended the transition time for students to get from one place to another.
However, many students have said that they enjoy the Flex days, such as BGHS sophomore, Owen Allen, who spoke highly about it. “Community Lunch and everything was pretty fun. I got to talk with more friends than I usually do during the third lunch.” He added, ”I think it’s fine the way it is. If it needs improvements, it needs improvements but for now I don’t see anything wrong.”
Others, however, note some changes that need to be made, such as BGHS sophomore, Noah Copcutt. He mentioned, “Because it was a ‘community lunch,’ most people didn’t care and just left their trash everywhere. It was just a little chaotic.”
Another sophomore, Devynn Gardner said, “They could maybe narrow down some of the interest groups and like exactly what they're doing, and also try doing more fun field trips besides just going to parks.”
The recent Flex Wednesday field trip was a fun one, with a select group of sophomore students able to roam Buchanan Park, being free to play indoor/outdoor tennis, soccer, football, volleyball, basketball, or to simply walk the gravel path around the park. There was also a small playground along the gravel path that students were free to hang out on and enjoy. Many students had even spent money at the soda machine inside to have a refreshing beverage while they played and explored.
Noah elaborated on his experience on the trip, saying, “I thought it was really good because we got to play sports and be athletic. I think it's good for the students to have some free time.” Noah didn't have many complaints about it, aside from how he didn’t like that only a small group of people were there.
Owen also spoke on the subject, saying, ”The field trip was great. I had a great time. [I] played catch, tennis, volleyball, and other stuff, no complaints.”
Some students didn’t attend the field trip, but instead got to vote in elections. The elections consisted of things to vote on such as different spirit week days, assigned parking, and the name of the highschool’s brand new coffee shop.
Morgan Martin, the sophomore class representative, excitedly said, ”The voting experience was really cool and helped introduce me to things that I was not fully aware of before.”
Students have also had the opportunity to try out interest groups. Interest groups are clubs that take place during school hours for people who would like to learn more about something they wouldn’t normally be taught in class. The interest groups revolve around true crime, astronomy, mechanics, chess, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, movies, crocheting, and much more.
The overall response to these have been positive, with students like Morgan saying, “I like them, I think they’re really fun and efficient for students.” During the more recent Flex Wednesday, people even began to understand clubs better and how the school would function during these days, with transition times extended for students to get from one class to another.
Some students have also poked at the idea to turn some of these interest groups into actual clubs. Devynn, Owen, and Morgan have all considered real clubs consisting of yoga, ping-pong, and even Taylor Swift.
When asked about turning interest groups into clubs, McGraw responded, “Possibly, depends on the interest group, right? Like we can’t just have classes over Disney princesses or something, but who knows. What it would take is a teacher and probably a group of students who are really interested in a topic, and say, ‘Hey we want to do a creative writing class around this,’ but that's kind of out there. I don’t see a class coming out of it necessarily, but I’d never say anything is impossible.”
This Flex Wednesday, some interest groups had been removed as an option due to there being a lack of people willing to try them. Students have felt as if the Flex Wednesdays have helped improve the school by showing them that there's more than just what they know.
Devynn stated, “It's improving the school by showing us that there are people here that have the same interests and likes that we do, and that there are a lot more people outside our friend group that we could actually talk to.”
There are positives and negatives to all things. Regardless, it seems that Flex Wednesdays are here to stay, with many students commenting that they’re a great break during the school week. Although Flex Wednesdays had a rocky start, they may just stand the test of time.
-Nick Allison
Feature Writer
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