Students And Staff Balance The Pros And Cons of Our New Bell Schedule
Out with the old and in with the new.
Every new year comes with its twists and turns but this year students and staff were thrown a curveball: our New Bell schedule. It’s gained its praise and piled up some complaints, but is it better than the old schedule?
7:35-8:15 AM is the new homeroom block: this gives students the time to finish homework for the day, watch Puka Mai Ka La without taking away class time, easy access to morning announcements, and it ensures that all students are in the right place before school begins. From 2:30-3:10 PM students have Intervention & Enrichment. During this time students go in for study help, participate in clubs, workout, do homework, or hang out with their friends.
There is no denying the amount of free time the new schedule gives us. Also, students are released at 1:15 so that teachers can work on improving our school. According to a recent poll of over 100 students and staff,70% favored the new schedule and 30% did not.
With more free time built into the schedule. A concern was if students would take advantage of the free time that was given but that does not seem like a problem. “The extra free time is great, I get my work done and do not stress out over retakes or going in for help.” A student said.
Students in the lower campus have 3 classes with no breaks, classes do not flip so your teachers will always see you either tired in the morning, starving before lunch or tired at the end of the day. On the flip side, the free time makes the days easier to get through.
The teachers enjoy homeroom in the morning and I&E in the afternoon, it is easier for students to catch up or get help. The main complaint from teachers are about the shorter classes, “if the school wants the students and staff to be the best they can be, then why are they taking away valuable learning time?” Meredith Kuba, an honors chemistry teacher, exclaimed when she saw that class was almost over.
Another major complaint it’s about the lunch blocks. Students that are unable to find seats, there are long lines and crowds. Sometimes students will opt out of eating is they feel like Akahi is too crowded and this is obviously not healthy. “What about grab and go?” you might ask, even grab and go can get backed up when there is half the school to feed.
In the end, the majority of our staff and students have good things to say about the new schedule and a few things to complain about.
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Hey there! I’m Holly Ikeda. I am from Glendale, California. This year I am a senior and this is my third year on the Kā Mōʻī staff and my first year as Chief Editor. I am a part of the National Honors Society and a few other clubs here on campus. I love to write a variety of story types but I have found that I like writing feature stories. I get to meet and understand a bunch of different people while bringing them into the spotlight. For my future, I plan on going to UCLA for nursing and eventually work my way up to getting a Ph.D. in psychology. My main goals this year are to revive the paper and leave a solid foundation for next year's staff to continue the legacy. Don't be afraid to reach out to me with questions or other concerns. (808)271-9170
Kanoe Igarashi • Feb 16, 2020 at 5:02 pm
I think that the school really should’ve been open to more teacher input while creating the new schedule. After all, our kumu are the ones who prepare us for life after high school, not to mention among the most affected by the schedule, besides students. Personally, I’m not sure if the new schedule is the best because I know that I am missing valuable class time and information that students under the old bell schedule had the opportunity to receive.
Kahinu Hayashida • Nov 26, 2019 at 12:41 pm
The new bell schedule has both itʻs pros and cons for the students and the teachers. I personally think that the classes are a little too short. The short class periods are having the teachers squeeze in content without allowing students time to fully comprehend the information that is given to them. From my personal experience teachers are also giving more homework because they are not able fit the actives in during class.
Micah • Nov 26, 2019 at 9:12 am
I feel that the new schedule is definitely a benefit to both students and teachers. For student-athletes, it opens up a lot of time for them to complete their studies without taking time away from their practice. As for teachers, the new homeroom block in the morning allows them to prepare themselves for the day because many do not have the time at home to do so because of out of school responsibilities. Overall, the positives of the schedule outweigh the negatives of it.
Kaimipono Kaohe • Nov 26, 2019 at 9:11 am
I think another big factor in this new bell schedule is cutting down content. A lot of teachers are stressing about having to squeeze content in and rushing it because theyʻre losing so much time.