This year’s freshmen will never know the struggle of being so invested in a project that’s due at the end of the period, eagerly working to finish, and in a short forty-two minute period, the bell rings, and the poster board needed for the project is only half-colored. As of this 2019-2020 school year, the new drop schedule has been implemented t.aint Rose, allotting more class time to students and teachers. Classes that were previously forty-two minutes are now fifty-two. Unlike past years, only six of the eight classes that students sign up for take place everyday. The two classes that don’t take place on a certain day will occur the next, one being the first period and the other being immediately after flex/lunch. The periods that drop will alter everyday; a student might drop their English and Biology class on a Monday, but would drop two different subjects on that Tuesday.
Along with six classes a day, a forty-minute flex/lunch period also takes place after the third class. All students either have lunch prior to flex, or flex before lunch. At a student’s given lunch time, they can eat in the cafeteria at a table of eight with some friends and purchase a meal from Maschio’s, St. Rose’s brand new food service. In preparation for the flex and lunch period, students must decide where they would like to go during flex. This recently installed period is a time for all students, including seniors if they do not use their lunch privilege, to work on the school subject of their choice, and can go to a teacher’s room that is available that day. They can go to a specific teacher for extra help, making it easier for students who are unable to stay after school. They can also work on any assignment of their choice, whether it is beginning an essay or completing a lab.
When Freshman Class President Gwyneth Fahy was asked about how she felt about the schedule this year, she pointed out the decrease in her workload: “I really like the new schedule because it gives you time to do your homework and study for tests because you don’t have all your classes everyday. It has helped me a lot because I have been able to get studying done and do work quicker. I also love the new lunch food and I think flex is a great opportunity to get extra help or get some extra work done.” Not only does the schedule benefit underclassmen, but is also beneficial for upperclassmen. Keara Reilly stated that “ I like the fifty minutes because the teachers get to fully explain the subject and I like how we drop each subject because there is less homework and it’s a nice break from certain subjects.” The new schedule has had a positive impact on the whole student body along with the faculty and staff. It is allowing the school to progress as a whole and create an exceptional academic environment.
