After heavy persuasion from the Neshaminy Teachers Union, the Neshaminy School Board approved the edition of two half days on Nov. 26 and Feb. 14.
The most recent half day, on Nov. 26, shortened the NHS school day to about two and a half hours. School dismissal took place at 9:40 a.m. That had a huge impact on the typical daily schedule, as many periods had to be cut from the school day. Students attended periods 1, 2, 3, and 8, leaving periods 4, 5, 6, and 7 to be taught on Feb. 14.
Immense effort went on behind the scenes to make the half days possible. The teachers’ union had been working to convince the board to implement the changes to the calendar as they wanted the day to be used for teacher professional development (PD).
The teachers’ union treasurer, Kim Kelley, voiced the explanation for why the half days are important.
“The union prioritized the addition of the half days because ensuring the success and well-being of students aligns with the mission and values of our educators,” Kelley stated. “These PD sessions will empower educators to implement effective teaching strategies and methods, ultimately benefiting our students’ learning experiences, academic growth and well-being.”
Teachers are always striving to improve, and attending these PD sessions plays a role in that.
Biology teacher, Sheila Royds, shared, “The professional development part of the day allows teachers to spend time with each other to create new lessons. For the science department, this is very important since we have new state standards to implement.”
However, regarding lesson plans, half-days can cause trouble for teachers, especially as some periods are removed from the schedule.
“The half-day changes the pace of what I am teaching,” Royds admitted. “Only seeing half of the students causes me to adjust so that some of my students do not get too far ahead of other students.”
Many students also used the half day to their advantage and didn’t attend school.
“From my student perspective, I think some students may want to skip out on attending school on the half day because it simply is just a waste of time,” an anonymous NHS student commented. “The majority of teachers are most likely not going to do much during the half day, and are likely to treat the half day as a study hall or play games to entertain the students.”
NHS Freshman, Mashaeel Abdulkhader, remarked, “I feel like there is no point in coming to school if the school day is two and a half hours. In some classes, you might not do anything. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. in the morning just to come back at around 10:00 a.m. is unnecessary when you can just do the work at home.”
As the school year progresses, students make attempts to balance their busy schedules. Days off are welcomed with open arms by those who want a break from the stress that comes with all their effort.
“Students also need more sleep because we stay up late trying to catch up with all our work after a long day of school and after-school activities,” Mashaeel reflected. “Tuesday can be a day where everyone can relax because Thanksgiving break will be very busy for anyone who celebrates it.”
