This past August, the North Kingstown School Department announced that due to COVID-19, the high school would be in a hybrid model with a major change to how classes would run. During a normal year, students would have eight classes at once, with specials lasting half a year and core classes lasting the whole year. Students now attend four classes at a time, with specials lasting a quarter and core classes only a semester. The purpose of this is to limit virus exposure for students and staff in the building. 

There have been many concerns with new scheduling, including students significantly forgetting content from classes they had during the previous quarter/semester. Shorter class time means less time to remember and fully digest academic material. Additionally, AP students might struggle to recall content from their first-semester AP course for the May exams. 

However, I have enjoyed this as a freshman, because it allows me to focus more intensely on fewer classes. Another advantage is that after February 2, I won’t have to do any math or english work again until next September. 

The classes are, of course, going at a faster pace which has kept rigor in place. My father is a teacher in Coventry where they did not make any changes despite the pandemic. He told me that kids are feeling overwhelmed with eight classes and they can’t keep up the course work. He wishes that his school had taken a similar path. Thus, I hope we can keep this scheduling intact when the virus ceases and the world returns to a normal state. In other words, I believe this advantageous scheduling style should be maintained beyond the crisis.