By Alaina Fox

News Editor

Beginning on Mon., Apr. 20, Los Gatos High School will adopt a new schedule for online learning.

In the new schedule, school will only be in session four days a week. Mondays and Thursdays will be odd, or “orange,” days, while Tuesday and Friday will be even, or “black,” days. The duration of classes will shorten from 90 minutes to 60. Because of the shorter periods, school will begin at 9:30 AM rather than 8:15 AM and end at 1:45 PM, or 3:00 PM on odd-period days for students enrolled in a seventh period. Break lengths will change as well. Lunch, starting at 11:45 AM, will last an hour, and a 15 minute break now exists between fifth and seventh period classes. Teachers must have live classes, for which attendance will be mandatory, for at least 15 minutes each day.

Student responses have been overwhelmingly positive. Senior Ada Peschanskiy commented, “With the new schedule, I think it is incorporating more structure for students. Also, I honestly have been having difficulty keeping track of what day of the week it is, so not having to worry about the block periods alternating is quite helpful. In other words, there will be less confusion as it will be the same structure each week and not alternating like it has in the past. I especially think having Wednesday off is beneficial for students and teachers to catch up on any assignments as well as take a break from having to look at a screen all day. My teachers have stated that for the most part they will maintain the structure as they have the past couple of weeks.” Similarly, Anika Kapal, a junior, remarked, “Hopefully having the same classes on the same day of the week and having an empty day on Wednesday can add a sense of stability and extra freedom, respectively, in our schedules given online school.” 

Some students feel that beyond easing the transition, the new schedule reflects the school’s commitment to students’ overall wellness. Junior Isabella Debling expressed her gratitude for the change, noting, “Personally, I feel blessed to be going to a school where our health and wellbeing are completely prioritized. I feel that the new schedule change truly highlights the nature of our school and how our faculty adapt to support the needs of the students. I think this schedule change is a fabulous opportunity and a great stress reliever for everyone. Adapting from everyday life in a classroom to the extremity of going fully online can be such an overwhelming and cumbersome time for all the aspects of the school, students and the faculty. I really love the idea of having Wednesday as an office hours day and essentially a catch up / get on top of school work day for students.”

For the rest of the year, this new schedule will provide a way for students and teachers to more easily adjust to online learning.