Wakeland’s new bell schedule made its debut at the beginning of the school year, leaving many students confused. The new schedule, aimed at enhancing both academic performance and student well-being, extends each class by two minutes and adds one minute to each passing period.

“We noticed that power lunch ended up being about 70 minutes, considering the five minute passing period on either side,” Assistant Principal Mr. Parker said. “We believed that this extra time would be more beneficial if added to each class and between classes.”

The revised schedule has eliminated the five minute passing period before power lunch. Instead, two minutes are added to each class, allowing for deeper student engagement and longer instructional time.

“I find that the extra minute added to each passing period has helped my attendance, since some of my classes are on opposite sides of the school,” senior Julia Hosanna said. “With the new bell schedule, I’m able to get to all of my classes on time and even refill my water bottle between them.”

Some students, such as senior Iman Adil, claim that the new bell schedule has made it difficult to attend tutorials.

“Without the 5 minute passing period from second period to power lunch, it is hard to make it to classrooms on time for tutorials that are scheduled for first half,” Adil said. “This means that the time I spend walking to tutorials is time that I lose for studying and taking retests.”

Overall, it is clear that Wakeland students have mixed reactions about the new bell schedule. Whether you appreciate the extra minute between classes or mourn the loss of passing period before power lunch, adjusting to this new schedule has definitely made for an eventful first few weeks back.