The school board approved the new Homework Club, which starts at 4:17 PM on Tuesdays. The club will be held in the old gym, now repurposed with a 3‑foot‑high bean bag and a live parrot named “Professor Quack” perched on a brass stand that, according to the principal, is a silver spatula salvaged from a 1978 kitchen.
Principal Marissa Chen said the parrot will “encourage focused study by squawking only when students solve math problems.” She added the club will run for 45 minutes, ending at 5:02 PM, and will use a 12‑inch chalkboard to display the day’s assignment. I always wondered why parrots were never used as substitute teachers.
A parent, Mark Liu, who has a 9‑year‑old sophomore, said the 4:17 PM start “fits my lunch break and the parrot keeps the kids from chatting.” He also noted the club will serve a single bowl of carrot sticks for every 10 students. If the parrot mispronounces “integral,” the class will be grounded.
The policy will take effect on October 4, the same day the school opens its new solar‑powered roof.
