School is on a trimester system and starts with the calendar . Second week of January is the starting week , and school ends roughly second week of December . There are at least two weeks of break after each trimester , and smaller breaks in between . There are roughly 210 school days in a year , with 68 – 70 days in each trimester , depending on the calendar for that year .

The school day has five sixty minute classes and a forty minute lunch after the third period . The day starts at 9 : 00 am and ends at 3 : 00 pm .

Classes would be based on what the state / nation requires the schools to teach , how much of the material the student already knows , and how much the student wishes to learn .

Students can take some form of a test ( paper , presentation , simply talking with the teacher ) . If they score high enough , they won’t be required to take the class because they already know the information . If the student does well on half of it , they can take the class for a trimester , and retake the test . If they don’t pass , they’ll be required to finish the class , and retake again at the end of the second trimester . If they fail again , they can retake the class in the final trimester , in hopes that they will pass by the end of the school year . That way , you can get credit for classes that you didn’t take , but know the information ( you might not sign up for Spanish if you already speak it at home , but if you don’t take a test , colleges / workplaces won’t know how much of the language you know ) .

Allows students to graduate early if they are tired of schooling , because honestly .

Classes / Teachers can request extended blocks if they want to do testing , a project , or something like a lab that requires at least an hour . Or just do these tests / projects / labs in parts across multiple class periods . Or ask students to meet over the lunch break .

First 5 minutes of class are a warm-up / introduction to the material being taught that class . Last 5 – 10 minutes is a recap of the material and explanation of any homework being assigned .

A 40 minute lunch every day . School is . smaller . than Heritage . Everyone has lunch at the same time . Eating is not restricted to the cafeteria . There are classrooms designated , and an outdoor garden with seats / tables . Also a courtyard in the middle of the school .

We have a school garden in the courtyard that is student run and maintained , providing food for lunches .