Falcons across the school of Severna Park High School balance school, jobs, social lives, sports, and activities with barely any time to spare. These students in Mrs. Angers class are using a new edition period to the schedule to take part in Skills USA and club at the high school. “I usually work during my free time but sometimes it’s hard when my friends talk around me but if I don’t  have work I’ll talk!” (Karli Kirchenheiter) It is a great time to spend time with friends.

Photo by: Meghan DeFeo

Across Anne Arundel County, schools have added a free period to students’ daily schedules for many years. Severna Park was late to the game, adding it just as hybrid learning began. This is still new to many students and most are still adjusting. The question is, do the falcons appreciate the time or wish it had never been added? 

 As classes go by some students may say that because of this extra period, it feels longer towards the end of the day. The new period (Falcon Block) adds thirty minutes, as well as advisory adding thirty minutes everyday. This is one extra hour of free time while splitting up a normal schedule seven times.  Kirchenheiter, a fellow falcon, stated

 “ I think it’s a really good time to get a lot of homework done but one of the negatives is that you know you have first period then advisory then second then falcon block then third. I think it’s kind of annoying having no periods back to back. They are all split up.”(Kirchenheiter, Junior) 

The opinions across Severna Park Highschool vary from good, bad, and to in the middle. Some students greatly appreciate the time given for many reasons, athlete Sophia miller stated 

 “It’s nice to have it to study. It’s very useful during sports seasons when I don’t have time to do work.” (Miller, Junior)

Athletes and scholars across the county  appreciate the time given for work, studying, and anything else on their to do lists! After school, most sports or activities take up at least 2 hours each day. School is over at 2:18, and that leaves many athletes and scholars with not a lot of time to get things done. Not only athletes have obligations, many students do too. There are clubs, activities, plays, shows, dances, and concerts. All of these categories take up time and effort that may distract students from putting school work first. At Severna Park high school to get a study period as a part of your schedule you have to fit the requirements to do so, having four AP classes. By adding this free block students get a time period to study with no complications. During recent years students had to meet a teacher for lunch or after school for any sort of make-up assignment or redo. If this was really hard for athletes to balance out school and sports. With this block students are able to have the opportunity to meet with teachers and clubs with no obligation of any other sort.

“I like them in school because I’m really busy after school and it gives me the opportunity to take part” (Stella Bordone, Junior)

As a whole falcon Block has created equal opportunities for clubs, study time, and scheduling based off of students opinions. As the Falcon Block period splits up the day into many periods it has helped students pursue and take time in what they love.