By Rylie Wood and Natalie Paez
La Cueva will have a shorter summer and longer school year after the APS board approved next year’s school calendar on April 5. With school now starting on August 3 and ending June 1, here are some of the key dates you should know.
La Cueva students will now be in class on Nov. 8 for Election Day, and Winter Break has been extended, starting on Dec. 19 and ending on Jan. 5. Spring break has also now been extended, making it two weeks, but the four-day weekend students usually get off for Vernal Holiday has now been shortened by one day. Finally, because of the extension at the end of the school year, students will come to school after Memorial Day.
Freshman Giulianna Simone said, “I like the schedule as in the days and that we have a little longer breaks. I don't think it was necessary, but I think it might help with burnout throughout the year because you're gonna get some longer breaks.”
Although the changes throughout the school year may not be a big deal to most, some dislike the fact that the school year is eating into their summer vacation.
Principal Dana Lee said, “I think there's potential for it to be a difference maker. But as we know, it takes strong instruction and engaged, motivated students, and involved families. So if you have all of those things, then any number of days are going to be helpful.”
The calendar change is not the only change coming to La Cueva’s school year. On April 17, APS announced later start times for the next school year. High School students will now start at 8:40 a.m. and end at 3:40 p.m. Middle school students will start at 9:15 a.m. and be released at 4:15 p.m. Elementary schools will have two different start times. Some elementary schools will start at 7:30 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. While other schools will begin at 8:05 a.m. and be released at 3:05 p.m.
According to APS, the reasoning behind the later start time is to allow middle school and high school students to get more sleep, which in turn could help students perform better academically. The intended outcomes: fewer tardies, more time to eat breakfast and more focus throughout the day.
Some students support the later start times, like Bodhi Bushman: “The zero hours will be more tolerable and I don't feel as though the let-out times will affect high school sports that much. Most practices happen at/after 5 anyways."
However, others aren’t in favor of the new schedule change. La Cueva student Emma Agelastos said, “This definitely affects my entire schedule and the amount of time I have to complete activities, homework, participation, etc. I've been planning on joining a few clubs next year, but I probably won't be able to because of the lack of time I will have to finish everything.”
There have been some concerns about how a later start time would affect before- and after-school activities and sports.
Athletics director and football coach Brandon Back said, “ For outdoor practices in the spring, it's probably gonna have the most impact because of daylight savings. The fall, it probably won't have too much of an impact, until very, very right there at the very end.”
Zero hour for football season will start at “6:30.”
Back also was hoping for an 8:15 start – not 8:40. “I think 8:15 is the sweet spot, but, so it's gonna be interesting, but most schools in the state don't get outta school until 3:30, 3:15 anyways, so we're not terribly off,” he said. “It's just gonna be such a drastic change that students would just have to get used to eating breakfast at a better time, and managing their day.”
JV soccer coach Nicholas Romero said, “I don't necessarily like the thought. I guess it's changed over time though, because I was a high school student here and I started at 7:30, like you guys did. And now it's changing.”
Romero added, “In terms of sports, it's gonna be a lot harder for us, coaches, us athletes, it's gonna be really tough in terms of that (...) I think like waking up early, getting some stuff done, and then having the rest of your day to do stuff that's ideal for high schoolers and for adults.”
From an administrative point of view, Principal Lee said, “Honestly, at the high school level, I think the biggest improvement to our students' success will be the later start time. I think that will have more impact than the additional four days at the secondary level.”