As an initiative to further develop social opportunities at the high school, administration and faculty leaders are planning to officially introduce interactive connect groups in the second quarter of the 2020-21 school year. The new interactive structure will be based on student and faculty interest, and allow individuals who participate in the same sports,clubs, and activities to connect on a weekly basis.

A fundamental goal in the implementation of interactive connect groups is to create an engaging and enjoyable Connect experience for all members of the high school community. Additionally, administrators wanted to prepare for the possible return to full remote learning as the hope is students will be more likely to attend Connect sessions when they are passionate about the topic being discussed.

“Connect has been great for the past decade, but given the restrictions that clubs and activities face due to COVID, this is a way to get more students involved and have them Connected to FHS,” Student Activities Director Chris Loomis said.

Currently, the interactive connect group model is still in the development phase, as data from the student and faculty connect community surveys is still being processed. After nearly 1300 student and 140 faculty responses have been analyzed, groups will start to be formed. With a primary focus being placed on the interest level of both students and faculty, the hope is to have students deepen their connections with both their peers and their connected coaches based on their shared passion for activities and ideas.

“We have had a very high volume of work during the analytic and organizational phase of the program. While this has taken some considerable time, we are excited about the progress we are making,” Social studies teacher Patrick Mulcahy said.