As the 2017-18 school year approaches, students are preparing for the structure and routines that they had been more than happy to forget. However, this time may be especially overwhelming for incoming freshmen, who are not accustomed to the greater workload and different environment that high school entails. To help students be better prepared for the school year, Falcon Planners will be given to freshmen, free of charge.

“Timber Creek is truly committed to providing the best education for all of our students, and we want to ensure that students soar to new heights of achievement,” Assistant Principal Michelle Somerhalder-Fejes said. “The planner will be an excellent tool for students to become more organized, learn to prioritize, and practice time management skills.”

Freshmen will receive Falcon Planners in their english classes during the first week of school, where teachers will explain how to use them and the expectations that follow. Students will be expected to carry the planners to each class every day.

The planners are intended to be incorporated into daily life for students. According to Somerhalder-Fejes, the expectations for the Falcon Planners are the following:

  • The student has set a goal for each core content class every six weeks.
  • The student has written an assignment, objective or essential question for each class every day.
  • The planner is up to date.
  • Upcoming quiz, test and project dates are written, and there is evidence of proactively preparing for these upcoming quizzes, tests, and projects.

Core content teachers will check each student’s planner every three weeks to ensure that the expectations are being followed. If a student loses or misplaces their Falcon Planner, there will be a replacement fee of $5.

In addition to being used in the classroom, the Falcon Planners will be used as each freshmen student’s bathroom pass in their core classes. Teachers will be able to sign students out on pages located at the back of each planner. This will also encourage students to bring their planners to each class every day.

“Teachers will implement an expectation for the time and frequency of using the restroom during instruction,” Somerhalder-Fejes said. “It’s of the utmost importance that students maximize their time in class to learn, and this process will help to facilitate this expectation.”

Although Falcon Planners will only be provided to the freshmen class this upcoming 2017-18 school year, the plan is to make them available to other grade levels over the next few years. However, students of any grade level will be able to purchase a Falcon Planner if they wish to.

“We would like Falcon Planners to be available to [both] Freshmen and Sophomores next year,” Somerhalder said. “This year, Falcon Planners will also be sold to any student in the School Store for $5. Limited quantities will be available.”