By Sophie Weinstein ’13, Contributor

At the beginning of a new school year, many students were especially surprised by new scheduling amendments which allow all classes to meet the days immediately before and after a long weekend.

“In past years, we have used the all classes meet days for our return from long breaks. We decided this year to use it before and after every long weekend and major break,” Upper School Head Stephanie Luebbers said.

Luke Hall ’13 doesn’t approve of the change. “I don’t like it at all,” he said. “It is unhelpful to my learning because having several shortened classes [which aren’t] as helpful as having fewer long classes.”

Mrs. Luebbers backed up the change.  “Teachers felt that if a class dropped before or after a break it was such a long time before they saw the students again and that they lost continuity in the course,” Mrs. Luebbers said. “Having all classes meet gives closure before a break and a quick start-up after a break,” she continued.

Mrs. Luebbers is aware that this change isn’t popular with everyone.  “The response from students and teachers has, in fact, been mixed,” she said. “This change is experimental, and we will look at it at the end of the semester, before we set the second semester’s rotating schedule.”

The hope in instituting the change is that all classes would have an even amount of time; no class will advance too much farther than another, nor will one fall behind.

The “all classes meet” decision was made through meetings with the Academic Council as well as the faculty. “Many faculty [members] felt that more class meetings per year would simply be beneficial,” said Mrs. Luebbers. “It would help them cover the material more fully.”

Ashley Streit ’14, doesn’t think that missing a day of class requires this drastic of a change. “Three days is not that long and if I have a question I can email my teachers or see them in my free bell.” Streit finds that it is difficult to prepare for every class for multiple days in a short time span. “I don’t like having all of my classes in one day because all of my homework is due,” Streit said.

Like Streit, Jack Victor ’13, also finds that this schedule is actually setting him back. “I don’t like having shortened bells, it messes me up,” said Victor. “A 37-minute class isn’t enough time for me to learn or for a teacher to convey what [he or she] wants to say.”

While the change may not be enjoyed by most students, the “all classes meet” schedule is in effect, resulting in the required attendance of students to all of their classes before and after breaks, until the end of the semester at the very least.