Originally, when students took one online class throughout the school year, they would have to pay over $200. The Hybrid program on the other hand, allows students to take two of the online classes the course provides for free. The idea was introduced to BHS a few years ago to help with the overpopulation the school was facing. Bobcats in the program come to school for the classes that are directly taught there, and either come in late or leave early for their online ones. 

Crystal Dang is a Junior at Battlefield and is currently enrolled in Economics and U.S. VA History with the Hybrid program. As a Junior, Dang already had a rigorous schedule packed with APs, so she utilized Hybrid to give her a break and time to focus on her other classes. Crystal includes that, “One piece of advice is stay on top of your assignments. It is not a lot of work as long as you keep up with the work. Make sure you do not fall behind because the work will add up” She shares that she loves the Hybrid program because she does not feel as stressed as she would have been this year.

Students have their own accounts on PWCS Desire 2 Learn, where all of their assignments, grades, tests, and resources are uploaded. The courses are directly taught by teachers at Battlefield, and they encourage their students to email or visit them in person if they have any questions or concerns. The classes are broken up in modules, which include lessons, vocabulary assignments, projects, Power Points, and quizzes. Scholars have a few days to complete their modules, and at the end they take their test. Each subject provides a calendar with due dates and students are asked to do each of the assignments as they come. 

Emma Meyers decided to take the Hybrid program to have a stress free junior year. She shares that she goes home at 12:30 and spends about 30 minutes on her classes everyday. For those thinking about doing Hybrid, Emma advises “They should not procrastinate until the deadline because it is really easy to do at home.” Meyers expresses that she likes that she can work at her own pace, but still has those deadlines to keep her on track. 

The Hybrid program is semester based, which means students take one class during the first semester and their second one in the second semester. It also works out that the courses start later and end earlier than the classes taught directly at the school. When the course and semester is coming to a close, Hybrid students take a final test to determine if they pass the class or not. 

Junior Talula Black chose Hybrid to gain more free time in the afternoon, since cheer takes up most of her evenings. She shares that every other day she gets home around 12:30 pm and works on her three assignments of the day for about an hour. Her advice would be for Bobcats to “Make sure you are self motivated and trust yourself to actually go online and complete your assignments, once you get behind it is hard to catch back up!” Black concludes that she appreciates the extra time she receives from her online classes and that the assignments are very easy.