I interviewed students at AHS to see what their views were regarding the 2016-17 schedule.

Claire O’Sullivan, Junior

“I’m aware of how much time the Leadership Team has put into this change and their efforts to incorporate student and parent input. Also, I know how people don’t like change, and that this change is necessary. My concerns with the schedule, as an IB diploma candidate, is how much  homework will be assigned.  But I think the more contact hours we have, the more practice we will have for our homework. I have full faith in our faculty to take our stress into consideration, but I wish I knew what I was getting myself into before being thrown into the mix. I believe we’re well on our way to finding a common ground, but there are still many concerns that need to be addressed.”

Nick Willson, Sophomore

“With the new master schedule it will be harder to balance school and sports. I will be taking mostly IB classes which as everyone knows gives a lot of homework. For me it would be hard after practice to come home at around 6:00, eat dinner, and then do homework for 6 classes while getting enough sleep and having time for myself.”

Jack Hughes, Freshman

“I think the new proposed schedule will mean that making up class work and homework will be more difficult because you will be missing all 7 classes rather than our current 4 period block classes. This will be especially hard for athletes who are frequently traveling for events.”   

Jane Marolt, Sophomore

“I think the new schedule is going to be a lot harder for the kids doing the full IB diploma, but I think that will show which kids are are really invested in getting the diploma. For kids not doing diploma, I think it won’t be that big of a transition because it’s the same number of classes we have now. The new schedule just implements more contact hours so they have more time to learn the same amount of material, which could potentially be easier. I also believe that the teachers will take into account that you have every class every day so they won’t overload you with homework.”   

Tate Randel, Freshman

“The new master schedule puts athletes at a disadvantage. Being a racer means you have to train a lot, so having a free period is essential. This proposed schedule creates no room for free periods, which makes it difficult for me to train. I have a lot of  after school activities like soccer, skiing, and playing an instrument. Having a free period really helps me get my work done, keeps my grades up, and allows me to get to bed at decent hour.”   

Junior Nile Salter

“I am not in favor of the proposed schedule change next year. I experienced the same schedule last year at Colorado Rocky Mountain School. I thought the classes were too brief and I was constantly concerned with when the class would end and if I had enough time to ask questions. I prefer to have more time to really delve deeper into my subjects while switching classes and switching gears less frequently.”