by Clare Kenney
It was just a typical day at St. Ann’s Catholic School. I was sitting in the back of my eighth grade social studies class doing everything in my power to distract myself from the ever monotonous topic. If I wasn’t cracking jokes and plotting ways to get the teacher off topic, I was daydreaming. I was looking forward to the day when I finally would be done with this place. Don’t get me wrong, I liked St. Ann’s, but I couldn’t wait to be at the school my sisters always raved about. I would hear about the special schedules for the latest pep rally, and imagine myself there in just a few short months.
My eighth grade year ended, summer flew by, and before I knew it I was gearing up for school. I had never been so excited for the start of a new school year because I was about to finally experience those special schedules, frees, and “Missouri girls” first hand. The anticipation was killing me mid-August, but soon after, things were not as I had expected. I loved the frees and my new friends, but the special schedules had changed. Twice a month, Friday’s activities were now taken away and as sophomore year came around, another change occurred as pep rallies were now during activity. The special schedules I had dreamed of were gone. They had been moved to activity period, my time to eat lunch, catch up on homework, and talk with friends.
Pep rallies should be moved back to the end of the day, clubs and class meeting should be moved back to the mornings, and activity period should always be for the students.
Picture this: typical class meeting day with no frees, a Himes paper due at 3 p.m. and a double period chemistry lab. Your only time to do homework is during activity period, but wait, you have a class meeting and the homework you couldn’t possibly finish last night will not be completed because the time designated for you was taken away. If only you had the one hour you should have, you could finish your homework and Himes essay, and eat your lunch. With no activity period, the stress of getting the homework done due the next hour and the upcoming paper is immense, but it is an easy fix: move class meetings, clubs and pep rallies to another time besides our activity period.
A special schedule possibly two or three days a month , for a whole school year seems abundant, but from a statistical standpoint it isn’t. That is only 21 days out of 178 day of the school year for a special schedule. The St. Teresa’s website says, “Our flexible scheduling better prepares out students for college by encouraging personal responsibility and self-discipline,” but with each year a little bit of that free time is taken away. Though the website says students are “always encouraged to meet with teachers for additional assistance,” on the days we have pep rallies, class meetings and clubs during activity, we aren’t encouraged, but rather forced to give up the activity period we would use to go visit the teachers.
I love the unique scheduling here, but because of the tough curriculum at St. Teresa’s, activity period should solely be for the students, whether it be to visit a teacher, study for a test, or most enjoyably, laugh with friends.
Anonymous • Feb 28, 2014 at 10:34 pm
Clubs have always been during activity, but as an officer I wish we had more time to talk and work and stuff instead of spending twenty or thirty minutes trying to get everyone fed and settled before we could start. Also, as a student in more AP than non AP classes, I really need the time. Like I REALLY need that time. Yes, maybe I could have finished my homework last night, but I chose to eat, sleep, bathe, work, meet with an adviser, and socialize (which is important to my mental health). In those thirty minutes, I can finish all kinds of important projects that wouldn’t get done otherwise.
Please bring back activity.
anonymous • Feb 28, 2014 at 10:06 am
Also, what happened to all teachers being required to be open during activity unless they’re on lunch duty? It’s hard when you have a test that day or the next day and the teacher you want to meet with is in a meeting or something, or you have clubs or a pep rally. I agree, I feel like activity is slowly being picked away.
Layla • Feb 27, 2014 at 12:47 pm
Oh Noo! They’ve stripped you guys of activity period?! Not only was activity important for studying and meeting with groups for projects, but even moreso it was crucial for my sanity. You spend more time at school than at your own home and people just need a breather sometimes. I think I like probably would have had breakdowns everyday without activity
But even more importantly, activity periods were the times that I was able to personally engage with my teachers and other girls. It was constructive for relationship building. Through those little 30 minute time frames everyday, those “teachers” became our friends & mentors and those “other girls” i mentioned became our SISTERS.
Hopefully someone will soon recognize that for my baby sisters out there
#TeamActivity