As the holidays draw closer, and vacation looms in the distance, the last thing a lot of students want to think about is more school. Even more students would be upset if they were told that classes would double in length. Well, that is exactly what is happening the week of Thanksgiving.

It’s not as bad as it sounds. From November 25-27, Pentucket will be undergoing a trial block schedule. This means that for those three half days, we will have three periods a day, each approximately 70 minutes long. On Wednesday, we would have one period, and then the Color Day videos.

As a lot of students can’t imagine longer classes, they could be very beneficial if used to their full potential. These longer periods could be used to do an extended lab, work of projects, go over test material, or clarify a lesson.

However, if not used properly they could be dreadful for both the students and the teachers. These double periods could turn into a classroom filled with busywork, boredom, and inattentive minds. As librarian Ms. Costello put it, “ The day’s success depends on the usage of instructional time”.

Some initial reactions of some students were of confusion and conflicting feelings. After sophomore Emmy Desjardins was informed of the changes, she opened her mouth wide and said, “ I hate it. Actually, I like it”.

The average student felt that it would depend on the teacher and specific class. Some students would love a double period of English, while others would hate it. If a student has a particularly dry class, it will be a rough period for them, as oppose to someone who had a double period of their favorite class.

A lot of students were very open to try the new schedule, such as sophomore Lucas Chory who said he, “ wouldn’t mind trying it out”.

It looks as if the school will just have to wait and see how it turns out. There will also be three more times this year where this will be tested.

It will be hard to determine how it will turn out, but it is hopeful that all students and faculty will make the best of it.