A new schedule will begin for NHS starting Oct. 5 to meet DPI seat-time requirements, according to Principal Brian Wunderlich.

“I worked hard to meet the requirement while keeping the longer window of time in the middle of the day for a needed extended lunch break,” Wunderlich said in a staff email.

Many students and staff met the announcement with hesitance. Mrs. Deb Gauthier, social studies teacher, said, “Considering the current situation, one would think that the Department of Education would allow us to meet the needs of our students in the ways we think are best, and adding more time to our day isn’t the best.”

“Three hours is already long enough,”  in-person junior Adriana Laughrin said.

Others take a more understanding approach: “The change in the bell schedule might negatively affect some students because they have to rework their schedules… but I also understand that these changes are necessary,” Lauren Sturgell, in-person junior, said.

Social Studies teacher Mr. Eric Thiede offers the following insight:  “I’d be curious how a district that is totally virtual counts their minutes versus all of the in-person instruction time we’ve had this year so far. But like all changes, we will get used to it eventually, I suppose.”