Sofia Baumgartner

Students take notes in Dell’Orto’s 4th period AP United States History class.

Three months into the 2023-2024 school year, many students are debating over the latest schedule change- the restriction of Grizz time. Many students are contesting over the benefits and struggles of Intervention, the replacement Grizz time that’s only on Wednesdays.

Does the student body like Intervention?

Based on a survey given by the Granite Bay Today staff on Instagram, 89% of respondents said no to whether they liked the new schedule.

GBHS senior Zachary Docto, taking three AP classes this semester, agrees with the majority.

“I don’t like this new Grizz time because a lot of AP teachers just use it as regular class [time] so classes just get longer,” Docto said. “Some people just need a break. And also it’s going to suck during spring because when people have AP classes in the fall and they have the test during the spring, they’re not able to go to their AP teachers to ask for help and review, so they have to go before or after school, which doesn’t work out for a lot of people.”

Senior Duwayne Aikins also prefers the old schedule.

“It would be a lot more convenient having every single day except one,” Aikins said. “Especially if you forget to do homework because you’re exhausted from a day of work. You’d have a chance to catch up on it, or even relax if you don’t have anything.”

Furthermore, being a student athlete in wrestling and lacrosse leaves him with little time after school to receive help.

After school, “I have to go straight (to a classroom), get (an assignment) done in 5 to 10 minutes and then go to wrestling to make it on time,” Aikins said. “And that seems unrealistic.”

Whilst a majority of students dislike the new schedule, others, such as junior Summer Shelton, favor the new schedule.

“Wednesdays feel a lot shorter. We already have an hour less, but then with (Intervention) added, it’s a lot less class time,” Shelton said.

Moreover, Shelton believes that she can adequately get the help she needs during Intervention.

“If I can’t go before school or after school, I feel like I have time to talk to my teachers,” Shelton said.

However, there are some difficulties concerning Intervention. Aside from projected struggles relating to accessing AP help in the spring, Docto said people need breaks. 

“(Intervention) helped (students) stay on task, but that’s not always what’s needed,” Docto said. “Not everyone needs to stay on task for the entire school day.”

Aikins brought up struggles with teacher availability.

On a day without Intervention, “you’d have to go in before school, or after, especially if you have a lunch that your teacher doesn’t have,” Aikins said. “Whereas (with) the old schedule, you can go in during Grizz time very easily and get the help you need.”

Shelton also feels that meeting with teachers is a challenge on days without Intervention.

“If I’m busy after school and I don’t want to have to wake up early, I feel like it’s hard for me to be able to talk to my teachers,” Shelton said.

Teachers also contend about the new schedule. GBHS AP/CP Government and Economics teacher Jason Rath misses the old Grizz Time for a variety of reasons. First and foremost is a concern for students.

“The old Grizz time that we had, especially as the year went on, was great for students who needed help in a subject like (Economics) and for makeup tests and quizzes,” Rath said. “I understand why the administration didn’t like it and why some teachers didn’t like it. But it was good for students who needed help and actually got it.”

Furthermore, Rath coaches Girls Junior Varsity Golf at Roseville High School and finds difficulty in helping students after school.

“Kids that have sports (and) kids that do stuff are at a disadvantage because they have to miss (school), when are they supposed to make up things?” Rath said. “It’s hard for them to coordinate (…) schedules.”

AP United States History and IB History of Americas teacher Brandon Dell’Orto takes a more neutral stance. Although he agrees that the new schedule can be rough for students, he also acknowledges that teachers now have greater flexibility with the schedule, meaning teachers have more instructional minutes and get through more material.

“The biggest problem we used to have with the old Intervention is that the kids that (Grizz) was designed for often wouldn’t come back to Intervention,” Dell’Orto said. “And (there) was no way to make them come back. …So now, they are there. That makes it a lot easier for teachers.”

A benefit from Intervention is that classes who are behind schedule have the time they need to catch up. Rath liked the extra instruction time.

“In my third period, micro macro, we just usually extend (instructional time)” Rath said. “In my AP classes, I have to.”

Because of our school’s block schedule, AP classes have to cover the same amount of material as AP classes in schools with traditional scheduling, but in half the time. This proves a struggle for many AP teachers. Considering that Grizz time was 28 minutes, four days a week, for 36 weeks of school, teachers were losing approximately 67 hours, or close to 3 days a year, of class to Grizz. 

“From a teacher’s perspective, (Grizz) wasn’t worth what we were losing,” Dell’Orto said. 

Mixed opinions continue to arise from this disputed topic, but students and teachers will continue to make the best of what they have.

“We had a lot of kids who missed school for a water polo tournament or they were sick for a couple of days and they figured (it) out,” Dell’Orto said. “Most teachers will help out their students to figure out a way to get forward if you need some help.”