The beginning of the Archie Williams 2024-25 school year rings in a change in Friday’s bell schedule. The Friday school day begins thirty minutes later than it did the previous year, at 9:00 a.m., pushing the end of the day to 2:30 p.m., thirty five minutes later. Administration made the schedule change to accommodate TUHSD morning meetings, built in for staff collaboration.
Teachers and staff across TUHSD took a vote to determine the 2024-25 bell schedule. This shift to the bell schedule is intended to provide teachers with time to work to improve curriculum with their colleagues before school. The administration and staff hope this will benefit both teachers and students.
According to Archie Williams Assistant Principal Kaki McLachan, the designated time period assists teachers in working together.
“Teachers at Redwood, San Andreas, and Tamiscal voted to change the bell schedule to allow them a time period twice a month to collaborate with each other. Not like a traditional staff meeting or department meeting where the administration or district officials guide and lead the work, but a time for teachers to work with teachers to develop new ideas to help their students,” McLachlan said.
Administration hopes this change to the bell schedule will have a positive impact on students’ wellbeing, as it allows them to sleep in. Additionally, a 9:00 a.m. start is expected to encourage better attendance by making it easier to arrive at school on time.
Senior zero period student Roy Quaas finds the new Friday schedule creates a positive end to his week.
“The new schedule is super beneficial to [students] …Getting the extra rest makes all the difference with a lot of school work,” Roy said.
The new bell schedule particularly affects students taking zero period classes. Prior to the new schedule, zero period classes took place Monday through Friday, beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 8:20 a.m. With the recent change, there are no zero period classes held on Fridays.
Junior Hanna Janson, who participates in the zero period jazz band, feels the impact of this new schedule changes her normal zero period routine.
“Getting to school at 9:00 a.m. is a change from my normal morning routine and isn’t really my ideal Friday…“[The new bell schedule] also means that school ends at 2:30 instead of at 1:55, and I know that I have a job… [so I know] that can definitely get in the way of other peoples’ plans,” Hanna said.
Student athletes are also seeing the effects of having a later start time. Multiple Archie Williams sports teams have practices that take place before the start of the school day, and having a later start allows for these practices to begin later and for the student athletes to get more sleep. Junior Hadley Johnson finds the new schedule to be beneficial to her sleep schedule.
“As a student athlete who plays water polo, [the new Friday bell schedule] is really nice, because when we have morning practices, it gives me more time to sleep, as practices start later. I think that for athletes as well as students in general, more sleep is beneficial,” Hadley said.
As the school year progresses, TUHSD administration hopes that students will become accustomed to the new routine, and that it will spur positive change with the increased effort of the teachers and the increased sleep for the students.
