For the past several years, administration has changed the structure of the Upper School schedule to try out different ways of scheduling breaks and blocks for community assemblies or events. Last year, Ms. Sarah Jallo, Assistant Head of School for Strategic Priorities and Enrollment Management, led a team of Middle and Upper School faculty to meet monthly and discuss the schedule.
According to Ms. Jallo, after listening to student feedback, surveying faculty, and discussing the schedule during professional development days, “the highest priority was trying to address the H and D Block conflict with particularly athletics, but really after school programs.”
Student-athletes often miss the last block of the day for competitions. Last year, this led to many students repeatedly missing one academic class several times in a row. Ultimately, the Upper School administration decided to change the A.M. band reserved for club meetings, assemblies, and other activities to a P.M. band at the end of the day on all days except Day 2. As a result, on Day 1 and Day 3–6, students that are dismissed earlier for sports are significantly less likely to miss class. Day 2 continues to have an A.M. band reserved for all-school events and now includes a 15-minute morning break afterwards.
Tennis player Audrey L. ’26 said, “I really like that there’s an afternoon band because it helps with sports.” Her teammate Emerson F. ’26 agreed and added, “It was so annoying last year missing all of my classes in D Block. It’s good that they changed it for this year especially because now I have [Advanced] Chemistry D Block. If I was missing it all the time it would be really difficult.”
Not only do students miss less class, but also with the removal of the A.M. band, the Upper School lunch is 35 minutes earlier than last year, with the exception of Day 2 that maintains the previous 1:10 p.m. lunch time.
However, as a result of the earlier lunch time, Upper Schoolers have lunch directly after Middle School. According to Brandon Worrell, Director of Dining Services, Commons staff no longer have a break to prepare for the Upper School lunch time, which has the most students out of all the divisions. “Personally, I’m not a fan of the schedule. I really liked last year’s schedule out of the six years I’ve been here. It gave us a chance to clean up, reset, remake food and I felt like we could get the line through much quicker,” said Mr. Worrell.
But despite long lines, students still prefer eating earlier. “Having an earlier lunch is nice. On [Day 2], where it’s back to the old schedule, I don’t really like it and it feels weird,” Rachel K. ’27 said. Upper School Math Teacher Mr. Elliot Chang, who has taught Honors Geometry throughout the schedule changes over the past few years, noticed, “Now, not many students are eating in class these days.”
With the changes every year, students have to adapt to new schedules. Senior Emily L., who has had a different schedule every year in high school, said, “There’s always going to be modifications. While we do get used to it eventually, if there was consistency throughout the years it would be a lot easier.” For students entering the Upper School for the first time, who have never dealt with issues caused by schedules in previous years, this year’s schedule has not been a problem.
Ultimately, the goal with reviewing the schedule every year is “to ensure that our schedule doesn’t increase stress in kids’ lives. I think we have to sort of assess how this year is going. And you know, probably do that in another month or two,” said Ms. Jallo.
But as of now, she said, “I don’t anticipate any big changes for next year.”
