Arrowhead begins it’s final exams next week (1/15-1/18) and students are beginning to prepare by studying, seeking extra help, and wrapping up tests and other assignments in clases.

Students will arrive to school at normal start time during exam week (7:20am for south campus and 7:30am for north campus) and will be released at 10:40am at south and 10:50am at north Tuesday through Thursday. Students do not have school on Friday. Teachers will be in the building for a professional development day.

Monday, January 14th, will be a regular A day for students with normal classes. Tuesday, January 15th is Arrowhead’s first exam day and students will take exams for their first, second, and third hour classes, or they will take exams for first and second hour blocks (both A and B days) and third and fourth hour A day blocks.

On Wednesday, January 16th, students will take exams for their fourth, fifth or sixth, and seventh hours. If they have blocks in their schedule, students will take their third and fourth hour B day final, fourth and fifth B day final first, and their fourth and fifth A day exam or sixth and seventh B day exam second. Last, they will take their seventh and eighth A day exam or sixth and seventh A day exam.

On Thursday, January 17th, students will either take their eighth hour exam or their seventh and eighth hour B day block exam first, and then either their ninth hour or ninth and tenth hour A day exam second. Then students will either take their tenth hour or ninth to tenth hour B day exam.

An exam day schedule can be found on the Arrowhead Website under the “About Us header” under “Information and Publications” in “Maps, Calendars, and Schedules.” It is labeled as “January Exam Schedule.”

The student handbook states, “Students are required to be in school ONLY for classes requiring them to take a final exam…Written notes or phone calls are not necessary on exam days unless your student is ill.”

Some teachers have given their students ways to study by giving them review materials and packets, such as Terese Rentmeester, who teaches ninth and tenth grade Spanish.

Rentmeester says, “As I’m sure most of you are aware, the semester will conclude with an exam.  Exams run January 15th-17th and students then have off on Friday, January 18th before the new start of 2nd semester.  In my class, students were given a semester exam review packet and are encouraged to also practice using Quia and Quizlet.  Both links, as well as semester exam practice tests and answer keys, are currently available on their Spanish Canvas page. The Spanish semester exam counts as 20% of the final grade and there are 5 parts.  Several parts are tested before the actual AHS exam day to make studying more manageable.  Students may view these important dates on their Canvas calendar. Good luck to all.”

Sophomore Megan Spyers-Duran says this about final exams: “Finals are the most stressful week of the year because they determine if your hard work from the whole semester has paid off. Teachers are trying to cram in finishing units while we are also trying to study. This is the most important week besides actual finals week because it’s full of trying to bring up your grades, finish review guides, and make Quizlets.”

Sophomore Megan Reetz says, “Many teachers are also ending units causing added tests and homework on top of studying for finals resulting in many late nights.”

Some other study tips suggested by Elizabeth Hoyt on Fastweb are organizing a group study session, creating a study schedule, or color coding your study guide.

Second semester begins January 21. Students are encouraged to make schedule changes the first week of second semester. The student handbooks states, “Corrections to student schedules will be made through the first six days of each semester. Changes to student schedules may be possible during posted times prior to the start of the next semester. Students dropping a class must have written parental permission. If a class is dropped after the first six days of the semester, a grade of “F” is given.”