Stress and the ScheduleAs stress permeates the students at East Greenwich High School, the cause is simple: too many classes and too much work. This over abundance of work is caused by the rotating schedule put in place in the Fall of 2009.
Prior to the 2009 school year, students at EGHS enjoyed their breezy six classes with two study halls a week. Six classes seemed to students to be enough work to keep them busy, but not too much to inhibit time with their friends and family. Yet, students now drown in work caused by the seven class requirement. Many skip valuable time on weekends with family just to complete work for their classes. Even with several easier classes mixed in, many still find themselves on overload. While advisory and late start Wednesdays do help to break up the week and provide time for kids to catch up on some school work, it is not nearly enough. Students continue to complain of extreme workloads caused by a grueling schedule. So, if students complain, why is nothing changed? Doesn’t it make sense for students to take fewer classes with more time to focus on each class? Trying to remember every detail of every class for every exam can be too much, especially for seven different classes. If administrators knocked off one of the classes and gave more time for students to focus on the other six classes, some of the extra stress will surely be eliminated. While bringing back study halls is against State Law, why not instate more time for advisory? Rather than meet once a week, meeting twice a week, even for just 45 minutes, is a nice break for students to eliminate stress and complete work. So let’s make it happen. No more surveys or class meetings. No more discussions or hand polls by teachers. We need action, and we need it now. Students continue to complain, and the solution is logical. If students take fewer classes with more time for advisory, the abundance of stress can be eliminated and will allow more times for students to spend with their friends and family. |