Chatsworth Chancellors Converge on Campus for the First Day of School

With some raw nerves on edge Monday, freshman students joined the ranks of Chatsworth High School for a journey through some of the best times of their young lives.

“It’s big,” said Cole about the size of the Chatsworth campus.

Cole and his buddies, Lawrence Middle School graduates, were among the nearly 2,900 students roaming the quad area during the lunchtime
recess, seeing some old faces and lots of new ones on the first day of school.

The threesome admitted to hooking up with each other so not to be alone in the vast seas of teens.

There was lots of hugging, high-fiving and back slapping happening too. Even some serious talks about boys already started to dominate
conversations between female students. But, mostly students said they were happy to see their friends after the long summer break and were looking forward to baseball and soccer games this year.

This is the second year school started at Chatsworth High in August versus the traditional month of September, a schedule that mirrors college where a large number of students will be after four years in high school. Temperatures reached 90 degrees, but students didn't seem to care.

Rebekah Clayton, a junior, said she didn’t like starting school in August, but was looking forward to taking a marriage and family class.

“I’d rather be at the beach,” Rebekah said.

Outside of the student store where seniors Kelsey Koll and Zachary Cecil, both 17, said the “cool” kids on campus hang out, the pair admitted to already having “senioritis.”

“We’ve had it since 9th grade,” Zachary quipped.

Kelsey said she remembers being a freshman and not knowing where to find her next class.

“I thought (older students) were sending me to the wrong place (as a joke). They kept saying, ‘Keep going.’ I was afraid I’d get there and there wouldn’t be anything there,” she said.

While school officials seem to have things under control, not everyone was happy.

Alex, a freshman, said he had wasted the whole morning waiting for classes.

“I signed up two weeks ago, but my name isn’t on the list,” he said.

Principal Timothy Guy said enrollment is slightly down from last year when 2,900 to 3,000 Chancellors roam the campus halls. Guy estimated about 2,850 students will attend Chatsworth and that the freshman population is significantly higher than in the past five years since he started at the high school.

Guy said classes have been reconfigured to eight periods versus the traditional six.

That means students attend odd numbered periods on one day and even numbered periods on the next.

Guy said while other high schools in the district have already been on this “block” approach, it’s new for Chatsworth and hopefully a good move for the students.

The new approach allows students who need to make up lost credits to do so and for teachers to intervene when students are having difficulty in subjects such as math and English.

“The block schedule offers enrichment courses for those students on track or ahead … and offers them the ability to take some college classes,” Guy said.

Guy said with these extra blocks of time teachers will be able to complete a lesson during one period instead of it spilling over to the next day. He said students will lose time in the classroom with this method, but the quality of teaching makes up for it.

Test scores and grades after a few years will be determining factors if the experimental block schedule remains in place.

“We are anticipating some great things from the kids. Teachers, administration and classified, we are ready to go,” Guy said.