The Revere High School (RHS) administration set up a new system to integrate an eighth period into the school day after the final bell rings for Reverse A Cappella students.
Reverse A Cappella, which was once a class during the school day, now uses the time to get their practice in after the school day. Sierra Pabon, Revere’s choir director across both Revere Middle School (RMS) and RHS, discussed why she advocated for the change.
“We had last year moved to a full year-long rehearsal schedule for A Cappella, rehearsing the first period of the day. They also had to have choral or symphonic in another full-year course in their day. It started to pose a scheduling issue,” Pabon said.
RHS Principal Doug Faris explained how the eighth period came to be and how Pabon influenced it. With his influence and support, the eighth-period idea was able to continue Reverse A Cappella after school with direction from Pabon.
“[Pabon] kind of had the idea, and she asked Dr. Peltz and I last year if we would go for it, and both of us were like absolutely. . . . I know a lot of the seniors then signed up for the senior option to make it like a seven-period day,” Faris said.
Faris said the school he previously taught at used to have its A Cappella program as a zero-period program, starting before school. Due to Revere’s already-early start, he decided to make the program after school.
Junior Holly Gayner is involved in the Revere Marching Band and A Cappella. As a student balancing activities and classes at Cuyahoga Valley Career Center (CVCC), she explains the process by which she executes both activities without getting stressed and how she manages both of them.
“My schedule is very packed. . . . [A Cappella] being eighth period allows me to actually [take] the course, considering next year being a senior, I’ll be at the career center the second half of the day, . . . but now that it is the eighth period, I’ll have that opportunity still,” Gayner said.
Moving Reverse A Cappella til after school does not change how Pabon teaches, assigns grades, and enforces attendance requirements.
“Everything is the same as if it is a period during the regular school day. Grades are the same, and attendance is taken through the same system,” Pabon said.
The addition of a period after school has since increased the number of people wanting to join the program, but everything has stayed the same about the class itself.
“Since it opens up people’s schedules, this year has been quite the hit. Last year we had ten members, and it was like pulling teeth trying to get people in the room because it was such a scheduling conflict. This year, we have sixteen members. . . . We had nearly forty people audition for only sixteen spots,” Pabon said.
With the increase in students interested in Reverse A Cappella, Pabon said that the eighth period is a trial run. If there are too many conflicts or the pros and cons do not balance, then it can move forward differently next year as the program grows.
Pabon said that she is trying her best to compromise with other activity leaders to best serve the students life outside the classroom.
Reverse A Cappella is performing as the first group of the fall choral concert on October 24.
