Flex periods at Carlmont have been used for other activities such as safety drills and school-wide assignments recently, which has caused some unrest among the students and staff.
Many people are upset that other activities are taking up flex time as it prohibits students from meeting with their teachers, making up a test, or working on their homework.
“I do not like that flex time is being used for other activities. I feel like flex time is crucial for me, and I use it a lot to make up work as well, and it’s inconvenient when I can’t do that during flex time because of a drill or assembly,” Nina Chutczer, a junior, said.
Many students rely on the bell schedule to plan their week, and they set aside questions to ask their teachers during flex. When there isn’t a flex period on one of the block days, they can only meet with one teacher, thus causing them to need time with that teacher another week.
“I don’t really like that flex time is being used for other activities. Flex-time has become a dependable part of the school schedule, so I don’t like when I have to change my plans just bc the school needs to fit something else in,” Calista Huang, a sophomore, said.
Some students and teachers don’t have too many complaints about personally losing flex time, but they aren’t necessarily happy about taking time away from their peers.
Other activities take away from our ability to accomplish the original intent of flex periods.
— English Teacher Carolyn Wallace
“I do not use flex to meet with my teachers, but I understand that there are people who need to utilize this time for that. Assemblies can take away certain days that teachers are available for students, especially since some teachers have assigned flex, so they can’t simply see them the next day. Since flex can also be a time for teachers to work, drills and assemblies can take away from their time as well,” Victoria Lehman, a sophomore, said.
While these students and teachers are not happy about flex time spent doing other activities, many understand that borrowing this time needs to occur occasionally.
“Taking away several flex periods shows a lack of priority for it, but these activities need to fit somewhere,” Dr. Tyler Kochel, a biotechnology teacher, said.
By taking away this time from the students, their ability to have quality conversations with teachers to get help or makeup tests gets limited.
“If we are designating that time for the purpose of doing work/making up assessments, then it should be taken as seriously as any other class,” Ranya Ghishan, a math teacher, said.
