Within CCSD, schools have many different types of schedules such as block schedule, which usually offers eight classes that meet every other day, or some schedules offer a busier day with six or seven periods meeting every day.
For Silverado students, we’ve changed schedules often, especially during the pandemic when we went from block to six periods, then to the seven-period day we have now.
Next year, Silverado is planning to move to a six-period day with 52-minute classes. The hope is to have classes be a little less rushed and also to work better with our teachers’ contracted prep period, giving them more time.
While many teachers are probably happy to have fewer classes to worry about, students seem to be split on what they think about this new change. In the news story on page 2, for example, the 146 students we surveyed were slightly over 50% in favor of remaining with seven periods.
The Star editorial staff, however, is completely against this new schedule being implemented. We definitely prefer having seven or eight classes.
We are especially worried about the six-period day affecting our class and potentially pushing it to just an after-school club. Having one less elective means fewer students will be able to take journalism as a class. Surely other students will also be disappointed to cut an elective choice next year.
This change will also affect struggling students who can’t fit APEX or retakes for credit retrieval into their schedules next year.
Maybe that will make students take their education more seriously, but for us, we preferred the flexibility of more electives and more classes overall.
