By Chloe Nash, Managing Editor
October 4, 2023
ROCKLAND- The new schedule that has been changed this school year has brought mixed feelings from teachers and students.
Mr. Rich MacAllister, a history teacher, said his biggest frustration is not having a set routine for when he drops classes.
“It’s the lack of consistency and I think it’s nice to have a routine of having certain periods off all the time and being able to prep the same time every day,” he said.
Although, Mr. MacAllister loves seeing students at different times of the day and “getting a chance to see them later on in the day when they are a little more invigorated.”
While the rotation schedule has made it difficult for Mr. MacAllister to have a routine he can follow every day, something beneficial that has come out of this for him is getting to know a student’s whole personality.
He added, “I get to see students in a different light and so you really get to see a student’s personality come out… That gives me a better understanding of who they are and makes this schedule really more enjoyable.”
Another history teacher Mr. Gregory Rowe has had a hard time with his students being late because they are confused and wished they all periods rotated.
He said, “L block being at the end of the day is nice and consistent, but kids always run in late because they are confused [and] they come from a different place every day.”
On the other hand, he has also enjoyed not having the same students late every day and seeing students at different times of the day.
“Kids at different times of the day are more attentive… So I think it creates a more balanced schedule and gives us a full view of the student and what they are able to do,” Mr. Rowe said.
Senior, Nayla Chaves says she prefers the old schedule because she got used to it and the new one has become a little more difficult.
She said, “The most difficult thing would be remembering which class we are dropping that day and having different lunches every day with different people.”
Senior Anthony Ciano said, “It’s refreshing to have different classes at different times of the day” but he added “although the lunches take time to get used to as they change every day, it’s nice to experience different lunch times. It gives me the opportunity to hang out with friends I don’t have classes with.”
Although with the classes rotating, Chaves’ favorite part about the new schedule is having a different first class every day.
Administration hopes students get used to the new schedule and see the benefits, but try to help by posting the first block class on the electronic board in front of the school, and students were all given pocket-sized schedules at the start of the year.