Staff
Page 15
Sept. 2 2016
Megaphone Staff Co-editors in chief: Catherine Jasper, Jenna Williams Photo editor: Emily Abriani
Staff Editorial
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Recognizing the new schedule’s benefits After a decade of thought and three years of focused research, a new and modern schedule was introduced this year. Yet despite the intensive planning, students and staff alike were anxious as to how the rotating blocks and absence of bells would work in practice. There can be no doubt now, however, that the changes will be nothing but beneficial. “(The new schedule) really starts to open up all sorts of opportunities that would not have been available with a traditional schedule,” said Mr. Dennis Thomas, vice principal for academics. One major difference this year is the varying length of class times. Every day will feature three 45-minute classes and two classes over an hour, compared to the monotony of prior years’ evenly blocked periods. The 75-minute period in particular offers more opportunities than ever. These classes can be filled with
presentations, lengthy demonstrations, tests or a multitude of activities. Rather than a test of students’ attention spans, the longer class periods will instead be filled with more engaging opportunities not available last year. A rotating schedule gives all classes the opportunity to enjoy both the longer and shorter class periods. Varied lengths allow the teacher to cater each day’s plan according to the time allotted. Due to the rotations, classes do not meet every day. This supplies students with additional time to complete work or study and also grants teachers another day to plan lessons. Fewer but longer classes provide more in-depth learning and reduce unnecessary transitions. This year, those transitions are silent. The absence of the iconic school bell before and after each class initially seemed sacrilegious and the first silent dismissal was eerie.
However, it was soon obvious why it’s elimination was needed. Students were able to become more comfortable in class without the jarring buzz approaching. They could focus on the teacher rather than the clock. Thomas compared the school bell to the gun shot at a race. In addition to no bells, students are released by the teacher at slightly different times which decreases the crowd of students clogging doorways and filling the halls with rambunctious conversation. The break between classes is now more of a calming walk than a frantic dash. By the time the next class has begun, sitting quietly and paying attention is easily achieved and not accompanied by a splitting headache. From opportunities for more in-depth learning to reductions of stress between class, the strategic schedule changes are for the better.
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Megaphone is the student newspaper of Cathedral High School, 5225 E. 56th St., Indianapolis, Indiana 46226, (317) 5421481), and will publish 11 issues this year.
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