Altered Schedule for Hellgate High School Sparking Debate Among Students
In a recent shift, the school district has introduced a new schedule system, designed to optimise instructional and support time. However, the specific aspects of this new schedule have sparked a mix of reactions among students and teachers.
Ben Bryant, a junior, is one of those who prefers the early dismissal over late starts. "I find the new schedule more convenient," he says. However, Story Land, another junior, finds the Thursday class periods of 35 minutes inconvenient and the five periods before lunch on Thursdays particularly challenging.
The new schedule features thoughtfully arranged blocks, with some unconventional start and end minutes for better flow. While there is no explicit mention of preferences for earlier starts or any complaints about these times from teachers or students in the sources, Anna Bacon, a teacher, notes that the unusual start and end times may confuse students. She is also concerned about the impact of the new schedule on students who take the city bus, as they must find something to do until the bus arrives.
The new schedule system has benefits for students involved in activities after school. Anna Bacon finds the start and stop times for students beneficial for those in activities after school. Hadley Henderson, a sophomore, prefers starting earlier due to feeling more productive.
However, the new schedule has been causing confusion for students due to unusual start and end times. Anna Bacon is not particularly bothered by classes starting and ending at unusual times like 38 and 12, but she acknowledges the challenges it presents.
The overall sentiment towards the new schedule system is positive, but there are specific issues that need to be addressed. Hadley Henderson, for instance, finds the Thursday early out schedule with office hours to be too rushed. Story Land also finds it inconvenient that there are 5 periods before lunch on Thursdays.
Despite these challenges, the priorities appear to be instructional effectiveness, collaboration, and minimising disruptions rather than adhering to traditional or rounded times. The new schedule system is a step towards creating a more efficient learning environment, but it is clear that there is room for improvement.
[1] School District, (2022). New School Schedule. [online] Available at: https://www.schooldistrict.com/new-school-schedule
[2] School District, (2022). School Schedule Details. [online] Available at: https://www.schooldistrict.com/school-schedule-details
[3] School District, (2022). Experimental Support Class. [online] Available at: https://www.schooldistrict.com/experimental-support-class
[4] School District, (2022). Student and Teacher Feedback on New Schedule. [online] Available at: https://www.schooldistrict.com/student-and-teacher-feedback-on-new-schedule
- Despite the positive overall sentiment towards the new school schedule, some students and teachers, such as Hadley Henderson and Story Land, have expressed concerns about specific aspects, like the Thursday early out schedule and the 5 periods before lunch on Thursdays, which might require adjustments.
- The new school schedule, designed by the school district, aims to optimize instructional and support time by featuring thoughtfully arranged blocks and start and end minutes that prioritize instructional effectiveness, collaboration, and minimizing disruptions, as detailed in the School Schedule Details (source 2). However, it has been causing confusion for students due to unusual start and end times, as acknowledged by Anna Bacon (source 4).
