One hour and thirty one minutes. This is the new length of class at Hollis Brookline High School returning to school following the COVID-19 guidelines . This change in the schedule was made to combat COVID, by limiting time spent in the hallway. Most would agree this is a step in the right direction,  but not the answer to fighting COVID. 

These long class periods can feel never ending, and a drag, even to teachers who in the first week of school were not sure how to utilize all ninety minutes of the period. There is no denying the fact that everyone is happy to be back after the lockdown, and that HB has done a fabulous job with bringing us back to school fully. On the other hand, there is always room for improvement. These new plans and course of actions to combat COVID, are constantly evolving and this is differentially something that can be altered.

Even last year, some classes could feel endless, so adding on another almost thirty minutes, it can cause students to lose focus after a while. “Personally for me it’s a lot harder to sit still for a lot longer”, said Tony Lafrance ‘21. 

There is a new voice and point of view this year, via students who decided not to enter school in person this semester, and have to attend their classes on Zoom. Sitting through these long classes can cause eye strain, with over seven hours of looking at a screen not counting their homework.  “Yeah sometimes I get headaches, and I have to lay down”, said Cole Lavoie  ‘21 a senior here at Hollis Brookline who decided to opt out of going to school in person this semester. Cole says that a change is definitely needed with the schedule. 

The long blocks aren’t just affecting students at HB, they’re also taking a turn and affecting the staff. “I struggle filling them[classes]”, said Ann Melim, an English teacher here at Hollis Brookline. She found herself struggling to fill the long blocks, unsure of what to have her students do for the full ninety minutes. She understands why the schedule has been implemented but still faces some struggles adjusting to it, and is still trying to figure what is the right way to utilize all 90 minutes of the class. 

There are many possibilities to change and rework the new schedule, and after last year when the school community voiced their grievances with the new Cav Block implementations, administration responded and answered by making changes that were well approved by the student body. 

As a community, we’re very lucky to be back here and have the option to return to school in person. There is no clear path and way to combat this virus, while maintaining as much normality as we possibly can. We have a long year ahead of us, and we have to remember we’re all on team HB, and to continue to follow the new regulations.