Mustang 30 will return for the first time since the pandemic on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Although the policy started in 2019, Mustang 30 was terminated during quarantine. Now that Metea has returned to a level of normalcy, the district has decided to re-enact Mustang 30 to provide students with academic and social-emotional support.

Every Wednesday starting on Jan. 25, students will have the opportunity to seek guidance and help from teachers and counselors. Students will be expected to stay in their assigned room however, they can choose beforehand to go to a certain classroom to receive help from a specific teacher. Mustang 30 gives students the flexibility to catch up on work, socialize with friends or attend various sessions focusing on topics such as mental health or fitness. 

With students juggling after-school activities and homework, Assistant Principal Quynh Harvey believes Mustang 30 will be very constructive for students.

“Our goal is to make Mustang 30 beneficial for students and that is why we built in a choice so students can decide for themselves how they want to spend their time,” Harvey said. “If a student is struggling in a class, hopefully, they will choose to see that teacher during Mustang 30. If students are seeking out support and using their time wisely, I believe Mustang 30 will be highly beneficial.”

According to Harvey, students and teachers gave positive feedback about Mustang 30, especially from students who have extracurricular activities after school.

“Based on our surveys from 2019, students said Mustang 30 was incredibly helpful, particularly for students who are involved in athletics or clubs who are unable to see teachers immediately after school,” Harvey said. “Having that extra bit of time to do work during the school day is helpful for those students. I know some students and teachers want Mustang 30 more than once a week but we are not there yet.”

For some students, Mustang 30 will relieve the stress of not being able to finish assignments due to other commitments outside of school.

“I plan on meeting with my chemistry teacher and a few other teachers to help improve my skills in certain subjects. I am in multiple clubs and sports and so being able to have time dedicated to getting my work done takes off the stress from my outside activities,” sophomore Kaitlin Fitzgerald said. 

Although some students have unsure feelings about this new policy, some plan to stay productive during this time.

“I have mixed feelings about Mustang 30. It is a great way to meet with teachers if you need help on an assignment or if you need to study for a test but it is annoying because I would prefer to continue in my second-period class,” sophomore Emma Kruzel said. “However, I do plan on spending my time in the LMC working on assignments or meeting with my teachers so I think some good will come out of it.”

In the past, Mustang 30 was a huge success. Going into the second semester, Metea staff members are enthusiastic about bringing the policy back to life. 

“[The staff] are really excited for Mustang 30 to start again. When we did the run-through with student selections and staff requests, the process seemed to work well. I am excited about our new scheduling system and hopefully, it will be clearer for students on where they should go and what options are being offered,” Harvey said. “In the future, we will probably survey students to see what their needs are and to add more options/sessions based on what students are saying. If there are any ideas that students are interested in, please let me know and I would be happy to explore other options.”