When students came back from Holiday Break on Jan. 6, they were greeted with a late Christmas present of their own: a schedule change removing the recess period on Wednesday and replacing it with an earlier dismissal from school.
The previous schedule had received criticism from some. The recess break was only seven minutes longer than a passing period, so many felt it didn’t offer adequate time to eat and relax.
The shift to a five-period schedule itself created a weariness amongst students with its implications on homework and a longer school day (starting fifteen minutes earlier and ending ten minutes later). The four-period Friday half-day schedule was the trade-off for this, and Cubs were quick to note that Friday’s streamlined structure with just one break and four periods felt much better than Wednesday’s, which also had four periods but with recess and lunch.
“I just wanted them to move the recess time to lunch, so I could actually lock in on work… or better yet, just take it off of the schedule and let us out earlier,” said Reagan Lantin ‘27.
Previously, there was a recess scheduled between the second and third hour, which added 15 minutes to the schedule, ultimately making the day end later than usual. The removal of this break has received an overwhelmingly positive response from the majority of the student body.
“I feel amazing about the schedule change. I’ve been waiting for it since Freshman year,” voiced Jake Bryant ‘27.
As each Wednesday starts later than the rest of the week, while maintaining the same end time, Joseph Schimoller ‘26 stated that he “feels like the day goes by faster.”
It seemed that the recess period itself felt very unnecessary when the schedule was put in place. Loyola’s schedule has received an abundance of changes this year, and many are wondering when they can return to a sense of normalcy.
“My parents are definitely tired of all these short-notice schedule changes and different starting times,” stated Zachary Bloss ’27.
However, some feel that additional changes could further improve the student experience.
“If they moved the late start to Mondays, I’d really appreciate that,” commented Joseph Schimmoller ‘26.
This change would make it easier for students to come to school after the weekends, but could create a burden for teachers. Despite the conflicting opinions, the removal of Wednesday’s recess schedule has been received with extreme positivity by the student body, and all indications point towards great effects on improving student satisfaction and performance.
