New High School Schedule

For the 2022–2023 academic school year, Cliffside Park High School has administered a new schedule.

The schedule consists of a Monday infinity schedule, when all classes meet. Tuesdays through Fridays, there is a drop rotate schedule. During these days, six periods meet: three before lunch and three after lunch. All grades share a common lunch. This is something foreign to the students of Cliffside Park High School. Schedules in the past have consisted of a one to nine period schedule where all classes meet daily.

The idea of the new schedule is to allow students to have a longer lunch period and longer class times. Longer class times allow instruction to occur for a longer period of time. Similarly, the lunch period is now sixty minutes long. During this time, students can seek extra help from their teachers or participate in club meetings and school activities. In addition, students have access to the school basement. This allows them to meet with their coaches and sports teams. Many students this year have free periods as a result of the new schedule. During free periods, students are generally allowed to go into the auditorium or onto the school field. This gives students time to relax and get work done.

The new schedule has led to mixed opinions amongst the Cliffside Park High School students and staff. Many students find themselves confused with the new school schedule. On the other hand, some enjoy the change. After hearing the viewpoints of various students, the general consensus was that students find the schedule complicated. Some find it difficult to remember which days their classes meet and don’t meet. Also, as the duration of the periods are different, some find it difficult to recall the times.

Personally, I feel the schedule is ineffective. Due to the overcrowded cafeteria, several students do not get a chance to consume lunch. The cafeteria line is excessively long. Another common problem is the lack of seating during the lunch period. Many students end up standing up to eat their lunch, as there are no available lunch tables.

The new schedule has many benefits, but there are some downfalls. As with all new things, the high school needs time to adjust and reassess the things that do not work. I feel as though the schedule can be effective. However, there is room for improvement.