By Bryce Romig
Since the New Albany-Floyd County school board decided to implement a balanced calendar, small changes are slowly making way with each new school year. Students will now receive an additional two-week break during October, as well as an extra week added onto spring break in March.
“I like that we finally get a fall break, and finally have a longer spring break,” said senior Savannah O’Brien.
The normal breaks such as winter break and Thanksgiving break will still be in effect. Winter break will be the typical two weeks long, as well as Thanksgiving break’s normal three days off.
“I love having two weeks off, but getting started after we come back will be hard. I’m anxious to see how things will play out,” said history teacher William Russell.
Principal Janie Whaley said the school corporation moved to the new calendar for academic reasons.
“The main reason why there was a switch to a balanced calendar is to help catch kids up, offer opportunities to help kids dig themselves out of a hole, and eliminate failures,” said Whaley. “It also gives teachers time to recharge.”
Aside from the longer breaks during the school year, some students are distraught over the increasingly short summer break, which is now six weeks long. In order to implement the new schedule, the school corporation had to shorten summer vacation.
“I like it. However, I wish that our summers were longer,” said freshman Morgan Paul.
In previous years, students would normally be headed back to school around the Aug. 12. Summer used to be two months and two weeks long, with the exception of snow days.
“I like that we have longer breaks, but I don’t like that we have to come back from summer earlier, because I like summer the best,” said junior Katie Tarr.
Other students approve of the upcoming extended breaks.
“I like the new breaks because they are more spread out. It doesn’t really bother me because we still get the same amount of days off so it’s not like they took away our breaks from school,” said sophomore Lexi Fennimore.
By the fall of 2014, the new balanced calendar should be in full effect.
“I think the breaks are long enough now. We get two weeks, so I kind of like the whole deal,” said Fennimore.
However, Whaley points out that the periodic break may also be beneficial to teachers.
“Teaching is draining and when you get to a certain point within the school year weekends aren’t enough. Teaching is a performance. When you are giving performances every day, you need time to recharge.”