MADISON — Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart in Madison introduced an uplifting new initiative this year.
Taking into account the challenges students face, the school introduced the concept of “Eddie’s Hour.”
This space of time in the school day was instituted to give students a break from their busy schedules.
Jerry Zander, principal of Edgewood, described how Eddie’s Hour — named for the school’s mascot — started as a response to parental concern and student need.
“About three years ago, Edgewood started the process to look at changing our daily schedule,” he said. “A survey went out to parents, students, and teachers asking what they want in a new schedule. One of the main themes that rose to the top was time for students to take a break from academics and have fun. So Eddie’s Hour was designed for the students’ mental health.”
Zander went on to point out the variety in how Eddie’s Hour gives students a chance to take a break.
“The activities each week are a large range of offerings and they change each Eddie’s Hour. Some of the popular offerings have been escape rooms, nature walks, learning to bake, fantasy football, science experiments, and book club . . . two or three times per month.”
This frequency enables students to have the needed break without damaging their chance to participate well in the academics of Edgewood.
Helping students
The teachers are very positive about the new initiative.
Jim Baltus, a religious studies teacher who hosted an Eddie’s Hour for swapping stories about cars, commented, “The advantage of such a break is having time with students and getting to know them on a different level where expectations and assessments are set aside for a while to simply enjoy each other’s company . . . These kinds of experiences can only help back in the classroom with learning and completing work in courses and supporting one another.”
Holly Guenther, a math teacher who set up an escape room for students, agreed.
“As a teacher, it’s nice to see students doing activities outside of the normal classroom environment. Many times you get to see their personalities come out. You see them smiling and laughing and just enjoying themselves. It’s also a good mental break for many of us as teachers getting to do things that interest us.”
Zander added, “The teachers are excited to offer things that they have a passion for but might not be a part of our curriculum.”
Asked about how Eddie’s Hour contributes to the Catholic identity of the school, Baltus commented, “Edgewood is most passionate about living out its Catholic identity by consciously incorporating the values inspired by the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. Three of those core values of Compassion, Partnership, and Community are embodied and strengthened by Eddie’s Hour because without deep connection and discovering the value and dignity in what is common as well as in what is different from one another, a just and compassionate world can hardly be imagined or created, something that is near and dear to being Catholic.”
Guenther pointed out that this initiative is also itself an acknowledgment of human dignity.
“Edgewood High School has very high standards academically already, so [we’re] adding this piece and letting students and families know that we care about the whole student. Sadly mental health issues are rising all over the country and I’m thankful that Edgewood is recognizing that and trying to find an outlet to help them.”
Zander also mentioned various Catholic ventures that can take place during Eddie’s Hour.
“We now have the ability to offer opportunities for our students to grow in their faith in ways that we were unable to offer in the past within our school day. For example, contemplative prayer, Adoration, or learning more about our Dominican background . . . Also, our FIT (Freshman Interdisciplinary) Team will use the Eddie’s Hour to build relationships in our freshman class and will also use it for mini retreats with freshmen.”
Student appreciation
The students were also a chorus of positive comments about the new initiative, with many grateful for the much-needed break.
Emmerson Elias said, “I do appreciate Eddie’s Hour very much. On these block schedule days, sometimes the long periods can be exhausting and it is super nice to have that break in the day to be able to choose what you want to do . . . It definitely does connect to Catholic identity, especially the core values of our school.”
He added, “Community is a huge part of Eddie’s Hour. It helps build community with your teachers and even further with your peers. It gives me a lot of opportunities to feel more connected to the Catholic values of the school . . . Eddie’s Hour really allows me to step back from the stress school can sometimes produce, and gives me a break in the sometimes exhausting school day.”
Kathryn Albright also praised the Catholic community.
“Our monthly liturgies or prayer services also take place during Eddie’s Hour, allowing a time in the week to be dedicated towards our Catholic identity here at Edgewood. I really like Eddie’s Hour because it gives me the opportunity and time to take a break from the classroom and explore a passion, be social with my peers, or attend an Edgewood liturgy or prayer service.”
Kathryn Read agreed. “I connect with the Catholic identity through our Community, Partnership, and Compassion . . . . Eddie’s Hour also helps you to develop those helpful connections to your fellow classmates and teachers that you may not otherwise get.”