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Woodland’s New Schedule

This year has been everything but normal. At the beginning of the school year, Woodland Regional High School (WRHS) followed a “Straight Eight Schedule,” where students and teachers would start their day in block A1 and go through the day, ending in block B4. This was quite the adjustment for upperclassmen because they were accustomed to only having four blocks on an average school day in past years. 

Due to popular demand, on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, WRHS switched back to the four block schedule. After a survey was sent to the students and staff of WRHS asking which was preferred, straight eight or four blocks, 72.5% of all 556 students who completed voted for the four block schedule; however, 27.5% preferred the straight eight schedule. 

Many would think the freshmen of Woodland would prefer the straight eight block because it is similar to the schedule of the middle school, but Simone Rosa, freshman, expresses interest in the four block schedule. 

“[The school day] feels almost quicker, and I can get more done in class,” said Rosa.

Rosa shares the same beliefs and experiences as most other students at WRHS. Sydney Harrison, Woodland senior, believes that the four block schedule makes it easier for her to complete her school work on time due to the breaks between the A Days and B Days. 

With the four block schedule comes forty more minutes of class time. Jess Block, WRHS history teacher, thinks the four block schedule is a positive thing because of the necessity of 

more class time: “With the short amount of time and all the extra things we need to do each class- like take attendance, set up the Google Meet, and clean the desks- [so much class time is taken away]. On top of that, it was hard to get anywhere as much done as what the curriculum expects us to do. And [we as teachers] can’t compensate by giving the students more homework.” 

While Block speaks of the necessity of more class time, there are students who prefer the shorter classes because it was the “new normal.” Emily Vance, sophomore, expresses a liking towards the straight eight schedule because for a whole quarter of school, straight eight was “normal.” 

“At first, I didn’t really like the straight eight schedule because it was new,’’ says Vance. ‘‘but as the quarter went on, I got more used to the schedule and adjusted to the eight classes a day.”  

While there are many opinions which schedule WRHS should use, the culture of Woodland always seems to gravitate back to the four block schedule, as seen in the poll that was taken. 

Gianna Costanzo

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