Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 8-Day scheduling Cycle?
- The 8-Day scheduling Cycle runs over 8 school days (excluding weekends).
- At the end of the 8th day, Day 1 will re-start for the next 8-day cycle, so please ensure that the students bring the correct textbooks as per their cycle schedule.
- The school year is comprised of 22 cycles over until the end of the school year.
- The swimming cycle schedule is attached in the Homework Diary / Student Planner and is specified by dates.
Why choose the Eight Day Cycle?
The 8-Day scheduling Cycle is a schedule program that was designed to maximize learning and teaching practices in the classroom. Used internationally at the most rigorous schools, it has been proven to show increased academic performance in students and was recommended by most of our educational consultants. Student movement, rotation and preparation for the next class are taken into consideration in the allotment of the class hours. This cycle extends instruction time and allows for increased student interaction thereby making lessons more meaningful.
What are the benefits of the 8-Day scheduling Cycle?
Effective teaching and learning: Carefully designed lessons allow for a more student-centered approach to learning. Concepts can be taught, application can be performed and reinforcement done all in the space of a single lesson. For example, at the start of a lesson it takes about five-minutes for a student to settle and prepare his/her books. On average, in a writing lesson, a science or a mathematics lessons, it takes about 15 minutes to teach the concepts. Students then have enough time to interact and apply the taught concepts. Also, student movement from one class to another does not affect the time of teaching and learning.
Specialist periods: Because of the nature of the specialist subjects, increased time is the main benefit. For example in PE, changing and preparation time cuts into the teaching and learning time.
Extended breaks: Students are able to fulfill prayer obligations as well as enjoy a relaxing lunch. Furthermore, teachers are able to use the longer breaks to assist students who require reinforcement of concepts.
Have the Teacher-Student contact hours changed with the implementation of the 8-Day Scheduling Cycle?
No, the 8-Day scheduling Cycle ensures that the required contact hours are safely reached.
How does the 8-Day Scheduling Cycle Day work?
At JKS the cycle extends over eight school days. Thus for scheduling purposes we no longer refer to the days as Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Instead the days are referred to as Day One, Day Two until Day Eight.
Are weekend days counted?
No. Weekend dates are not counted. This means that if, for example Day 5 falls on a Thursday, then Sunday becomes Day 6.
How many lessons are there in a day?
In the Middle and Upper School there are a total of five lessons a day with 2 breaks. No one lesson/subject is repeated.
In the Primary School there are six lessons a day with 2 breaks.
How long is one lesson?
In Upper school, the first four lessons are 70 minutes and the fifth period is 60 minutes.
In Primary school, all lessons in Grades 1 and 2 are for 50 minutes, while the first three lessons for Grade 3 to 5 are 60 minutes and the remaining three lessons are 50 minutes each.
Do we have blocks or “double periods” on any given day?
No. Because each lesson lasts either 70 minutes or 60 minutes, it is not necessary to have block lessons or double lessons on one particular day. Therefore, no student will spend more than the maximum 70 minutes in any one particular lesson or subject on a given day.
Are there any psychological benefits to the 8-Day Scheduling Cycle?
Students feel that they have sufficient time to interact with their teachers and to inquire about any concepts that they need to clarify further. Most importantly, students have enough time to practice what has been taught.
Teachers do not feel rushed to finish the lessons and are able to provide students with sufficient examples as required and time for interaction and practice.
Is it difficult to implement the 8-Day Scheduling Cycle?
Logistically, the implementation is very demanding. Implementation requires precise planning and preparation of PE Schedules and the Cycle Calendar. Implementing the eight-day cycle means doubling the work for the school as it requires the preparation of extremely “complicated” schedules and includes blocking common areas or facilities and taking into account that the beginning of each eight-day cycle is different from the one before. Example, in Cycle 1 the first day will initially be Sunday, after the eight-day cycle, in Cycle 2, the first day will be Wednesday… and so on.