Strange Schedule Changes Leave Students Wandering

The Cranberry High School administration met before the start of the school year and decided to make some changes to our daily schedule which they thought would benefit the teachers and students. But does it really? 

One thing that students say is a major change in their school day is that they no longer have a study period. 

Some students still have some extra time to study, breathe, or just get work done by using a study hall, but not all who might need it. As students advance in grades 9-12, they get to choose electives, which may or may not leave room for a study hall. 

A junior here at Cranberry High School, Jenna Biltz, said “I used my study period very efficiently and now I feel myself falling behind in my classes by not having that extra time anymore.” 

Coming from a school perspective, this change could academically benefit some students by pushing them to work harder throughout the day. 

Cranberry High School principal, Mr. Ritt Smith, explained that most students were not using the daily study period properly: “We had more students in the hallway during this period than we did in classrooms.” 

He emphasized that “it was an upsetting take away from the students that were using it correctly.”

To make room for club meetings and the new Character Strong program, the Administration created a two schedule system. The normal schedule is an eight period day; the group/Character Strong day is a nine period day with shortened periods one through four and an added period between periods four and five for meetings. The group/Character Strong days are every Wednesday and the first and third Fridays of each month; all other days run the normal schedule. 

The secondary schedule was a compromise to allow clubs to meet during school hours because buses no longer offer activity period passes due to the elementary being on a different schedule than the high school. 

Students and staff are still unsure of this new system mainly because it’s confusing with inconsistent day-to-day changes; however, the school is revisiting the topic now that it has had some time to settle in.