Head of Senior High Cyndi Buist has collaborated with faculty and staff to develop the best schedule possible for students, after years of constantly changing schedule structures due to COVID-19 and its aftermath.

Since its implementation, one significant debate surrounding scheduling is the A-B-C Week structure. This format, which consists of switching fifth, sixth, and seventh periods depending on the week, was initially developed to mitigate sports-related absences.  

“The biggest reason we went to the rotating schedule was athletic absences in the spring for sports that may have to leave early from school for most of their games,” Buist said. 

During the 2020-21 school year, the rotating schedule was temporarily dropped to maintain consistency due to COVID-19’s impact and uncertainty. Buist elaborates, “When COVID hit, we went to no rotation just because we were trying to maintain control of where everybody was and who was talking to whom.”

Additionally, due to procedural cleanings by teachers in between classes, school days were lengthened to 3:05 PM instead of 2:55. Time in between classes was increased to six minutes instead of four, while longer 12-minute breaks were condensed into two six-minute breaks, one after chapel, and the other after fifth period. Additionally, lunch was also lengthened, which ultimately resulted in an extended school day.

Last year, as COVID regulations began to loosen, school days returned to their usual 2:55 dismissal, with four minutes between classes, as well as a return to the rotating schedule. However, instead of returning to the 12-minute break, the two shorter breaks remained. Chapel’s placement was also changed to be after third period during semester one, and then after first in the second semester, due to conflicts with the temporary Reverend Taylor Porter’s schedule.

This year, taking into account student feedback and other considerations, chapel has returned to being after second period, as it had been during the 2019-20 school year, while the rotating schedule has been removed once again upon receiving positive feedback from students.

Many students, specifically athletes, have more mixed feelings surrounding the change. Buist aims to prioritize student input on rotating schedules, mentioning that students will be surveyed directly at the end of this semester to evaluate their thoughts and opinions. “In the end, the schedule should be for the benefit of our students. And if it’s not, then we should return to the way we were doing it,” Buist said.