This school year saw several major changes in school policy, one of which was the implementation of innovative changes to the upper school class schedule. Like many other students, when the plan for the new schedule was released over the summer, I was skeptical. The shortened study hall and biweekly 75-minute classes were daunting changes, but after a month of running these changes, my opinion has shifted. 

The change I was most apprehensive about was the 75-minute class format. I was concerned these longer classes would be monotonous, making Wednesdays and Thursdays long and impossible to get through. To my surprise, the 75-minute classes go by incredibly fast, and teachers have done an excellent job of breaking up the longer blocks with different types of work. The difference in the schedule also breaks up the school week and makes it easier for students to find daily motivation, plus the early dismissal and extra time after school are much appreciated. Overall, this was a positive change to the schedule I unexpectedly loved. 

Next was making Study Hall a shortened, set block before lunch rather than a period that rotated like the rest. This change made scheduling much more difficult without the flexibility offered by the study hall, and came with the downside of losing the loft as a senior privilege, but overall, it has become a massive benefit. Because of this change, events like Bible Studies, school-wide interest meetings, and college rep visits can now be easily hosted during study hall. And of course, Learning Lab is now a much more beneficial source of peer tutoring help. Students now have access to a full roster of tutors in every subject during study hall, opposed to the previous system, where students only had a random selection of tutors that happened to be in their study hall class. The Learning Lab is busier than ever before, packed daily with students helped by peer tutors. This was another innovative change that brought about a positive impact at Ascension.