The purpose of this petition is to abolish anchor days. Other FCPS schools with block scheduling do not have anchor days, and have proved that there is no need for one. Anchor days not only overload students' backpacks, but they also prevent students from working ahead. Homework assigned on Monday are due Tuesday, and on Tuesday, you must work on the homework for the next day. This does not fulfill the purpose of block scheduling, to allow students to have time to prioritize their assignments. Also, it adds to the stress level of TJ students, as we do not have time on the weekend to alleviate stress, while we must complete all homework assignments by Monday. Teachers argue that they must touch base with their students at the beginning of each week. However, this is not true. If they wish to contact us, students are still checking Blackboard and their emails every day. Out of experience, we have seen that not much is accomplished during the shorter periods as many teachers do not have sufficient time to carry out their lesson plans. TJ should be an institute of learning and higher education, and not a place to raise our stress to the limit. If we are truly dedicated to maintaining a high standard of learning, we should use our Mondays efficiently and productively.

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