As students change classes at the new semester to get all of their credits, counselors, students, and teachers all have to accommodate.

Health, Physical Education and Aerobics teacher Rebecca Finotti only teaches semester-long classes and thinks changing classes in the middle of the school year can be jarring. Finotti said, “I have to pack everything in a short period of time. I have to teach the kids how to stay updated on health information because I’ll talk about something first semester and then it will change the second semester.”

Another difficulty that arises due to the abrupt stop in the middle of the year would be a student’s unwillingness to get right into another class. Finotti said, “Some students struggle when they are starting Phys Ed. But, once they start getting into the pattern it’s easier but they resist.”

Adjusting to that change of classes may cause students to forget that they should be going to a different class. Megan Kocsis is a junior who has two different class changes this semester. Kocsis said, “My school day changes because I have to walk to a different class at different times and it messes you up at first but once you get the hang of it then you’re fine.”

The junior counselor Rachel McBride has to deal with plenty of challenges when it comes to scheduling season. McBride said, “Because there are such a large amount of requests, we don’t make one on one appointments during schedule change days. We ask that students sign-in and be patient.”

When a new semester rolls around, all of the grade levels are affected by the changing classes. Freshman Evan Karvonen deals with the struggles new students face due to the class change. Karvonen said, “Navigating to and from the new course that you are taking because as a freshman I don’t fully know where everything is in relation to everything else.”

This time of year can be difficult for high schoolers who have changes in their schedules but McBride feels that the students often do well when adjusting. McBride said, “I think most students seem to transition pretty well to their new semester classes, but it all depends on the student and the course.”

Karvonen thinks exploring the high school can be a challenge for new students. Karvonen said, “I wish they gave students more direction, especially the newer ones because everyone doesn’t necessarily know where that stuff is and it can be difficult to navigate.”

Although the adjustment to the schedule can cause challenges for students and teachers, Finotti found that there are benefits to teaching semester classes. Finotti said, “Some teachers have the same students all year long but I have a variety, for example I see most of the tenth graders.”

Kocsis thinks exploring different types of classes for a short amount of time is a big benefit of semester classes. Kocsis said, “It’s a new experience, you get a new teacher most of the time you get new students you get to work with new people and explore different classes.”

McBride knows that everyone is trying their best in this trying time. She said, “We are all doing the best we can under the circumstances, students, too!”