The high school’s new class schedule, which began in September, is creating opportunities that THS students never had dreamed of before.

This year the high school was separated into two ‘houses’, an upper house and a lower house, each with their own separate schedules.

The lower house remains in a seven period daily schedule much like schedule from last year, while the largest changes were observed in the upper house.

The upper house now runs on a five period day, with three regular length periods in the morning that the students attend every day and rounds out the day with two lengthy eighty-minute periods where four classes respectively rotate into the schedule in pairs on Day A and Day B

THS Principal Mr. Donald Ciampa explained “We felt that there was stagnation for kids to take academic courses for no reason more than credit,” and added “the number of students in THS is larger than it has ever been, we hoped to provide a better learning experience and enhance the climate and culture of our school with the new schedule.”

The eighty-minute blocks were constructed to create a space where students could take advantage of work study, job shadowing, or even college programs during school and get high school credits for their effort.

Despite the opportunities the schedule offers, students believe teachers should offer a break halfway through the period.

Senior Alex Kratoska supported having a small break during the dreadful long blocks and added “eighty minutes is too long, because you start losing interest about 40 minutes into it.”

The schedule also created a much needed AB Prep, a time space where the upper house can make guidance appointments or study with their teacher.

Many students agree with junior Anthony Nadworny who likes “AB prep because it is a good place to get work done and relax before the two hellish eighty minute periods.

The new schedule not only affects students but clarifies teacher’s schedules and due to the offset upper and lower house bells, minimizes traffic in the hallways.