As we move further away from the Covid-19 pandemic, Neuqua is making strides to return back to its normal life. This includes bringing back what is known as ACCESS (Student Academic Guidance). Every Wednesday, students will be granted a 30 minute period (from 7:25 am to 7:55 am) in which they can get extra help from teachers before class if they want to get help or support from teachers and staff. 

“One of our main goals in bringing back ACCESS is to improve advocacy altogether,  let the students have the ability to ask questions by themselves, and gain confidence,” Says Melissa Wilson, an assistant principal of Neuqua Valley.

 ACCESS can serve not only as a period to work with teachers but it can also one to work with peers. For example, through Access, students can collaborate on a group project and even study together. In addition, students are able to talk to their counselors and social workers, or even just utilize ACCESS as a useful period to study by themselves. In short, ACCESS does not restrict or enforce students on how they should spend their time. This Access period will begin at the regular start time, 7:25 am and proceed until 7:55 pm.

While Access can be used for various purposes, it does not force students to arrive by 7:25 am on Wednesdays. Students have the option to either arrive at school at either the usual start time (7:25 am) or the new starting time (8:00) if they are able to have appropriate transportation. Buses will still depart at the same time as other weekdays. 

The LMC will be designated for quiet study, the lunchroom for social activities, and the auditorium lobby for group studies. This means that students will be limited in the places they can go. If students arrive after 7:30 am, they must go directly to the Commons. 

The process of ACCESS is simple. It begins with a new application called Edficiency on Chromebooks. On Mondays, the teachers will assign students for the meetings in this Access period through Edficiency. You can find more information at https://www.neuquastudent.org/access.html

A considerable number of students have already used Access to their advantage. According to Viraj Desai, a junior, Access has given her a chance to connect with her Honors Precalculus teacher. As a result, she could get valuable advice on how to improve in class. This meeting allowed her to keep in contact with her teacher and check over her test.

Many other students chose to come in for the first period at 8 am, getting a little bit of extra sleep. They are expected to sign up for the Commons and check in for attendance with their first-period or homeroom teacher.

Overall, the new Wednesday schedule has gotten a staggering number of appreciation from Neuqua’s students. Now, Neuqua students can utilize it one day a week according to their needs. The return to Access indicates that Neuqua returned to a normal life after the difficult time caused by the pandemic.