More time, less rush : Why students need more transition time between classes

by Chloe W.

time is a common occurrence at AHS. Furthermore, tardies are at an all-time high, so much so that the administration isn’t able to process them all, further enabling students to be late. But what if we could change this ?

Some people agree high school students should be granted more passing time. Others think students should not be given more passing time and believe it does not have benefits.

Airport students need more passing time in between classes for various reasons.

First of all, transition time will prevent tardiness. Airport students currently only have five minutes to get from class to class. Most times it's difficult for students to get to class on time being that some of them are across the building from their next class. Being that Airport High has over 800+ students it's challenging for students to navigate through the crowded hallways at a fast pace and make it to their next destination in under five minutes. According to the https://www.lex2.org/ policy if students come to class later than 5 minutes with no pass, they are written a class cut referral. More transition time will avoid students from feeling rushed or under pressure to make it to class in such a short time given to them.

Additional transition time will also allow students to take a breather, destress, and recharge between classes, giving students a chance to relax their mind and get a small break. Increased transition gives students better preparation, having more time to allow them to gather their materials, organize their thoughts and prepare for the next class. These would lead to a calmer and more positive mindset throughout the day, taking care of mental health is important to students and extra transition time can definitely contribute to that.

A third reason to support a longer break between classes relates to personal health and hygiene. Every student needs a chance to take care of themselves and personal needs, with increased passing time it will allow them to do this. Using these extra minutes to do things such as grabbing a snack to refill energy, hydrating, using the bathroom, etc. This helps students feel more taken care of and ready to begin their next class period.

On the flip side, some people may argue and say it's a disruption of schedule to add more transition time. While yes it's true it would cause the schedule to change, it could also contribute to a more efficient and productive school day, so if admin were to say “it would be a hassle to reprogram the bells,” that just reads like a lazy excuse. Secondly, people may say it has potential for distractions, such as giving students more time to vape in the bathrooms or start fights, but having longer passing time doesn't necessarily mean students will be more distracted; rather, it will provide an opportunity for students to better manage their time and tasks. Lastly, people say it will limit class time. Yes, increasing passing time does take away some class time but the benefits outweigh this concern. More passing time allows students to come in a more relaxed manner, reducing stress and just overall making a more positive learning experience.

The students at AHS seem to agree with the idea of longer time between classes, such as Kaitlyn L., a freshman who says, “We should have more passing time, it will make everything less stressful.

Mckenna P., also a freshman, says, “If AHS gave us more passing time it would definitely benefit students.”

Giving Airport students more transition time is a change that can be very beneficial. Helping students get to class on time, manage stress and feeling less rushed, and giving them a chance to take care of personal needs are all reasons to support this cause. If you agree, we can try and convince Lex 2 to seriously take this suggestion into consideration.