New schedule incites mixed reaction from WA
Students spend the new ten minute break talking with their friends in the hallways to reduce stress.
February 29, 2016
Beginning February 29th, a new schedule will begin a trial period that will last until March 11th. While the schedule itself comes with a lot of minor changes to timing between classes, the most significant change is the addition of a ten minute break between second and third block.
Two new satellite stands are serving coffee and breakfast items have been placed in the flag lobby as another location for students to get any refreshments they may need.
Students have mixed reactions about the schedule.
“I know it’s trying to attempt to make it less stressful for us, but honestly in terms of the five minute passing time, I just found myself sitting in my class one minute earlier than I usually would be […] Any time not in class time is good time honestly, but I just wandered around aimlessly not really knowing what I was supposed to be doing during [the ten minute break],” said senior Andy Shao.
Most students felt similarly to Shao, and according to a poll from Ghostwriter on Twitter, 42% of respondents actually liked the changes to the schedule, and 37% thought it did not affect them much.
“I feel like the ten minutes wasn’t long enough to actually do anything, but I liked the five minutes between classes part of it,” said senior Caroline Baggeroer.
Other than a little more time to prepare between classes, teachers also reported little to no difference in their daily activities because of the schedule change.
“I liked it. I felt that, especially my morning, seemed a little bit calmer. I didn’t feel as rushed, so I definitely like the little break in the morning,” said Latin teacher Michael Vincze.
Some students have been calling for different changes to the schedule instead of the current changes in the trial, such as a mandatory DLT for students, or an extended lunch block, with some even saying that they would prefer the school day to be extended to accommodate those changes.
Unfortunately, these changes popular among students may not be possible. With every option comes a caveat; extending the school day would require the school to renegotiate contracts with faculty members and the teachers’ union, as staff members would have to be paid extra to correspond with the extra time they would spend working. A mandatory DLT would remove a semester from a student’s schedule, potentially preventing them from taking a class that they are interested in.
However, without those kinds of changes in place, the issue of high student stress and anxiety, which the schedule change is hoped to resolve, will never truly be dealt with.
Overall, the schedule changes have received a mixed reaction from WA students, but those impressions may change after the schedule has been in place for a longer period of time.
What do you think of the new schedule? Share your thoughts below as a comment.
Anonymous • Mar 1, 2016 at 5:01 am
I have to agree with what Caroline said. The five minutes are relaxing and really help slow things down. Some classes may have you bored and waiting for the second Bell, but at least others have time to do stuff. I thought the break was boring, and for what it was it was a bit too quick. I also think it wasn’t the best idea to put two stations in the same spot on different floors. What about the area near the Chem rooms? I think that could work as long as the special needs kids don’t go in/out at that time. I also disliked that the announcements were now impossible to hear and often see. They’re important to people and are important to getting information across. They shouldn’t be drowned out in a crowd of people eating food and talking with their friends. Personally I’d prefer to keep the announcements where they were, shorten classes by a minute to 50, shorten the academic break to a double passing time (maybe don’t sell food, what we have is a nightmare already) and maybe make lunch 20 minutes… If 25 seems worth the extra 15-20 minutes then that could be OK. Just my thoughts.
Anon • Feb 29, 2016 at 9:38 pm
I liked the schedule change especially the ten minutes it was really relaxing