The transition from middle school to high school is never easy. Particularly, when the class lengths are almost doubled. In most middle schools, there are eight classes for forty-five minutes every day. At Gibbons, there are only four classes but for seventy-five minutes each. For the incoming freshman and others not used to this schedule, it can be a difficult adjustment.  

At Gibbons, we use the modified block, which uses alternating A and B days to create longer classes. This is a productive system for high school students; it helps to prepare them for college lectures and gives the teacher more time to teach. High schoolers should have the patience to sit through the longer classes. Middle schoolers do not have a long attention span, so they have shorter classes to keep them entertained.  

The modified block schedule is not easy to get used to. When transitioning, the work can be hard to manage and the classes can be overwhelming. Freshman, Elea Roys has really enjoyed using the new schedule. Elea says, “it is easier to focus with less classes in a day.” She also says she enjoys having two days to get her homework done.  

Adjusting to the new schedule can be tricky, but eventually it becomes manageable. This schedule is somewhat new to all of Gibbons, because we used to have eight classes in a day.