By Sean Scott (Reporter ‘25)
This year, many changes were made to the schedule, some big and some small. The new schedule has its pros and cons, but generally, it seems to be working better than last year’s schedule.
There are numerous positive aspects of the way the new schedule works. One very impactful aspect is the addition of passing time between all classes and lunch. Last year, the lunch transitions and some classes had no official passing time, leaving students hoping that teachers would be gracious when marking lateness. One class started at the same time that another ended, and this created many misunderstandings and caused some stress about getting to class on time. The extra time came from shortening the long block of the day from last year’s 75 minutes to 1 hour, which also seems to be a more manageable time frame. Another improvement is that the chorus, orchestra, jazz band, etc., are no longer confined to the infamous block 7. Except for Wednesdays, block 7 rehearsals were at the end of the day, when students were generally tired and sometimes absent due to participation in sports games. These musical groups now rehearse during block 6, which often occurs earlier in the day when students do not have sports. Last year, special blocks, Meeting for Worship, and assemblies were directly followed by classes, leaving students without a substantial break to snack or socialize. Now, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, there is a time designated as “recess” that occurs after these activities, giving students time to eat and talk before classes resume. Additionally, the start time, which was changed from 8:20 to 8:30 am, gives more time and flexibility for students to arrive at school.
As with any new installment, the new schedule also has some cons. Instead of advisory happening every day like last year, it only occurs on some days. (It is now in the middle of the day instead of first thing in the morning.) This tends to create some confusion among students as to when advisory happens or not. Also, there is no longer a time for clubs to meet on Wednesdays after Meeting for Worship. All clubs that wish to meet during community block can now only meet on Mondays and Thursdays. This may not be an issue for each club as a stand-alone entity, but there are numerous consequences for the club schedule as a whole. Monday and Thursday community blocks are packed, and students in more than one club on a given day must choose which club to attend or split the time between clubs. Moreover, clubs may try to meet in the mornings or at a time other than community block in hopes of gaining members, but this usually only results in more scheduling conflicts. Another thing that may happen is spreading out meetings, which also seems to complicate things even more.
The new schedule has caused some major changes to school life. While it does have its drawbacks, the benefits seem to outweigh them, resulting in a more functional schedule for students overall.
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