By Ryan Finerty, Staff Writer
March 29, 2023
ROCKLAND- The underclassmen are in for a surprise for next year's schedule. The current schedule is being replaced with a true rotating schedule, with a new block, called the Bulldog Block, being added as well.
According to assistant principal Ms. Kathleen Paulding all classes, besides G block, will be in a different order every day. One class is still dropped from the schedule each day.
In addition to the rotating schedule, the start and end times for RHS will change. The school day will now start at 8:10 a.m. and finish at 2:40 p.m., to better coordinate with Phelps Elementary School and Rogers Middle School.
This includes the lunch schedule, with the first, second, and third lunch groups being different each day. For example, a student might have a second lunch for two days in a row, but might not have it all day.
G block will remain the same because the high school shares staff with the middle school and it worked best with staff. It also will allow for senior privilege and work-study to remain an option for students.
This was decided by a vote among teachers which was not unanimous, most agreed though, according to Ms. Paulding.
Teachers supported this change because when students are late or consistently dismissed at the same time they miss the same class every day. Students will now have classes at different times each day, which will hopefully allow grades to improve for some students who are usually late.
Ms. Paulding said she hopes this will also help with students' “energy levels [changing] throughout the day” when they feel differently first thing in the morning rather than after lunch in the afternoon.
However, this change may have some negative impacts. While work-study and senior privilege will remain the same during G block, the morning senior privilege will no longer be offered to senior students.
The rotating schedule will also likely cause some confusion at the beginning of the school year, with students not finishing work on time thinking the class is after their study or going to the wrong class on certain days.
The other change to the schedule will be the introduction of the Bulldog Block.
According to Ms. Paulding, the Bulldog Block will be only on Thursdays that are not Early- Release days. It will be during a currently undecided block, likely C, which the entire school will have off.
Teachers will be able to decide what to do with the block, whether holding make-up days, showing off a hobby a teacher has, like a guitar playing class, or even hosting a club, like many which are only offered currently after school.
Students will be able to freely go to a teacher offering something during the block or just remain in a class and treat it like a regular study class.
This was decided because “research shows if students make connections with staff it will improve their performance in class,” said Ms. Paulding.
It will also allow students to be able to do make-up work, have time to study with their teachers, and participate in clubs that they wouldn't have time to do after school.
There is also a plan to occasionally hold assemblies during the Bulldog Block to prevent students from having to miss a class.
These changes have caused mixed reactions among the lowerclassmen, with most concerns focused on the change in lunch.
Sophomore Adam Stewart has reservations about the change and wishes the schedule wasn’t being changed.
Stewart said, “I wish I could have the same lunch every day.”
While Stewart said he enjoys the idea of a Bulldog Block since on those days it would be a second study or block for a club, he also believes that the new schedule will make school more complicated and harder by extension.
Fellow sophomore Mohammad Asad is also concerned about the schedule. He said he doesn’t want to “adapt to different lunches each day, especially if I have lunch when I'm alone.”
However, he said he does appreciate that the first period is different each day since he wouldn't want to start the day off with a class he dislikes.
The new schedule will take effect at the beginning of next year, and students and staff will be given information and options about how the Bulldog Block will run.