Introduced two years ago, freshmen X-Blocks help students integrate into high school life smoothly. All freshmen gather about once a week to discuss service learning, study skills or anything relevant to the whole class.

“Prior to the institution of it, most of our students would leave at 1:30 on Tuesdays and Fridays,” said science teacher Tyler Zarubin, one of the founding faculty members. He attends and helps run Freshman X-Blocks.

“As faculty and staff we felt the ninth and tenth graders could benefit from staying here until 3 o’clock to work on things such as organization, study skills, health and wellness, things that we have wanted to teach them but haven’t had the opportunity to do during school hours,” Zarubin continued.

Freshmen X-Blocks have proven to positively impact students as well. “It is a great way to see new faces and meet new people,” freshman Ellie Kline observed.

In addition to bringing the grade together, ninth grade X-Blocks involve freshman in school programs. “It exposes us to the service learning program which lets us help third graders which I think is not only beneficial to them, but to us as well,” Mia Lehavi remarked.

Ninth graders are assigned to third grade buddies from partner schools, El Sol and Edward B. Cole Academy (EBC), for Service Learning. They gather with their partners once a month to get to know each other and take part in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, otherwise known as the STEAM program. The ninth graders prepare for these gatherings during X-Blocks.

Like all new programs, Freshmen X-Blocks have room for improvement. “One thing that would improve it is making the projects more fun and appealing to the students,” freshman Lauren Park explained.

“I think the study skills days are helpful, but they seem to run on for longer than they need to because of teachers repeating the same topics. Also, it would be helpful on service learning days to go over the schedule a day before so we don’t lose time on that day going over the schedule,” fellow freshman Kristen Palacio added .

The freshman experience has improved with the implementation of ninth grade X-Block, however students hope that it will continue to progress. They want their suggestions to be taken into consideration.

Plans for future Freshmen X-Blocks will consist of building kites so that Sage students can later teach their third grade buddies how to make their own. “I learned a lot from my buddy and I think that she has learned a lot from me too,” Lehavi said.