Change has been hitting Wilsonville High School at a rapid pace. Most drastically, the school has shifted to an A/B, eight-period schedule. Students can take more classes and earn more credits than before. Alongside many new electives, the “life class” is an additional class required for all students to participate in. 

So what is life class? Its purpose is still unclear to a large majority of people. However, it has proven to be a strong community builder and has possibilities for study hall purposes. 

Mr. Van Duren enjoys teaching his life class and sees its potential. He states, “I appreciate the effort to foster and build community at Wilsonville. It’s something we’ve just got to work some of the kinks out and settle into that study hall/advisory-mix style of class.” 

The class also has been used as assembly time, therefore, not taking time away from other core classes like in years before. Life class has also included many fun games that encourage collaboration and teamwork. 

Jonah Sandall, a junior, expresses, “It’s nice to spend time with one of my favorite teachers; however, I feel like the class time isn’t always as focused and useful as it could be.” 

Most students will hear from their peers that they wish the time were more focused on study hall time. With an additional class added to every student’s schedule, there is more homework to be done.

As we get deeper into the year, we hopefully can see the life class turn into a time more about studying, support from mentors, and getting homework done. The students in each class will stick together for the duration of their high school experience, and so there will be plenty of time for the students to foster connections with their peers and teachers.

This year will be the first of many that Wilsonville experiences in life class. Hopefully, students grow to enjoy and reap the benefits from the course as they journey the remaining years with these people and teachers.