As students of Burnaby School District SD41, we are deeply troubled by the proposed 5-block per-day plan that may be implemented in 5 out of 8 high schools in Burnaby. It is proposed to be a nearly 8-hour day for high schools all over Burnaby for the 2025-2026 school year. An example of the potential school day starts at 8 am and ends at 2:16 pm, or 9:25 am and ends at 3:41 pm.
This presents a considerable burden to students with extracurricular activities; sports teams, volunteering, clubs, and performing arts departments would be affected, as well as diminishing our already limited homework time and less time for us as students to explore our passion. For example, I volunteer to help elementary students with their music and math before and after school (till 9:00 am, and starts at 3:15 pm), however, if the 5-block per-day plan is in place, I along with many others similar to me, will not be able to offer our services to those in need and do what we love.
Additionally, the new 5-block per day plan could seriously disrupt before and after-school classes and clubs, such as band, drama, after school clubs,school sports team, student government, and leadership, which many students rely on for their education and passion. One potential solution might be to schedule these classes before period 1 and after period 5. However, this raises concerns about timing. For example, if before-school band classes, which currently last about 1.5 hours, were moved to before period 1, they would start as early as 6:30 am! For students who live further away, this could mean commuting for up to an hour, making their mornings even more challenging. Not to mention students who attend band and then have classes starting at 9:25 am would be left with a full period of downtime. Is it responsible to allow them to wander around the school for an hour and a half? This situation would result in students staying at school for over 10 hours! Which is extremely excessive and takes away from their personal time, and the same goes for after school classes.
Moreover, such an approach makes it even harder for those among us who are easily overwhelmed. A more chaotic school day with fewer breaks is not conducive to learning, especially for those who need additional support. As for teachers, their time would also be infringed upon, with less time to set up for the next class or create amazing lesson plans, as well as more work burden and longer hours, potentially causing the staff shortage to worsen.
We urge you, the Burnaby school board, to reconsider this idea and maintain our current scheduling framework. Technical and practical difficulties aside, a change this huge might well leave lasting impacts on the overall well-being of both students and teachers. Please, for the sake of our education and mental well-being, stop and scrap the 5-block per day plan. Sign the petition to make your voice heard.
Updates
October 23, 2024
The momentum is incredible. This is clearly a massive concern for all of us.
Reached 100 supporters
October 23, 2024
97 Comments
I agree with the petition. If the school board confirmed that the new schedule will be applied to all school within, I will strongly recommend that the academic pressure on students should be decreased with the equal amount of extended class time. Example less homework and tests, as the 8 hours of school and the time spend on going back and forth between school and home are overwhelming for students. Please let this one petition be a small impact on what we desire.
A move to a 5 block schedule would be detrimental for extracurriculars and afterschool activities. As of present, the time we already have in school is used in an inefficient manner. Instead, shorten blocks to fit the current schedule, and use available class time for learning concepts instead of working on material and problems that are just as easily done at home. Furthermore, the extension of the school day also prompts the question of whether teachers will see an appropriate pay raise as well. If our teachers are not treated well either, then many will feel less inclined to support the change as well.
Some students NEED flex in order to get help from teachers about assignments, for volunteering and not to mention people even use the breaks to help with work. I notice students during break working on assignments with their teacher and my friends and I have visited our teachers during flex and it's seriously helped us. I understand the district is doing this so that the students unable to actually go to the school can go to school, but then again, sacrificing the flex by adding the 5 blocks is just taking away a huge privilege for the students that ARE going to the school
ITS BOT FAIR THAT WE HAVE TO STAY AT SCHOOL LONGER AND HOW WOULD WE EVEN BE ABLE TO REACH TO TEACHERS FOR HELP. What if some kid lived in Coquitlam and it takes like an hour for them to get to their school, they wouldnt even be able to ask in person anymore.
clubs etc. will have to take place either before school or after school till 6pm+. my time doesn’t allow for that and neither does the times of many club members
hell no
STOPPPP
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As students of Burnaby School District SD41, we are deeply troubled by the proposed 5-block per-day plan that may be implemented in 5 out of 8 high schools in Burnaby. It is proposed to be a nearly 8-hour day for high schools all over Burnaby for the 2025-2026 school year. An example of the potential school day starts at 8 am and ends at 2:16 pm, or 9:25 am and ends at 3:41 pm.
This presents a considerable burden to students with extracurricular activities; sports teams, volunteering, clubs, and performing arts departments would be affected, as well as diminishing our already limited homework time and less time for us as students to explore our passion. For example, I volunteer to help elementary students with their music and math before and after school (till 9:00 am, and starts at 3:15 pm), however, if the 5-block per-day plan is in place, I along with many others similar to me, will not be able to offer our services to those in need and do what we love.
Additionally, the new 5-block per day plan could seriously disrupt before and after-school classes and clubs, such as band, drama, after school clubs,school sports team, student government, and leadership, which many students rely on for their education and passion. One potential solution might be to schedule these classes before period 1 and after period 5. However, this raises concerns about timing. For example, if before-school band classes, which currently last about 1.5 hours, were moved to before period 1, they would start as early as 6:30 am! For students who live further away, this could mean commuting for up to an hour, making their mornings even more challenging. Not to mention students who attend band and then have classes starting at 9:25 am would be left with a full period of downtime. Is it responsible to allow them to wander around the school for an hour and a half? This situation would result in students staying at school for over 10 hours! Which is extremely excessive and takes away from their personal time, and the same goes for after school classes.
Moreover, such an approach makes it even harder for those among us who are easily overwhelmed. A more chaotic school day with fewer breaks is not conducive to learning, especially for those who need additional support. As for teachers, their time would also be infringed upon, with less time to set up for the next class or create amazing lesson plans, as well as more work burden and longer hours, potentially causing the staff shortage to worsen.
We urge you, the Burnaby school board, to reconsider this idea and maintain our current scheduling framework. Technical and practical difficulties aside, a change this huge might well leave lasting impacts on the overall well-being of both students and teachers. Please, for the sake of our education and mental well-being, stop and scrap the 5-block per day plan. Sign the petition to make your voice heard.
Updates
October 23, 2024
The momentum is incredible. This is clearly a massive concern for all of us.
Reached 100 supporters
October 23, 2024
97 Comments
As a student athlete, I find this very troubling since it's already had enough to balance school and sports while having extracurriculars outside if school, so if the 5 period day were to be established, I wouldn't have ANY free time or time to relax myself, not even weekends, and I can confidently say that this implies to hundreds of other students in the Burnaby district
I agree with the petition. If the school board confirmed that the new schedule will be applied to all school within, I will strongly recommend that the academic pressure on students should be decreased with the equal amount of extended class time. Example less homework and tests, as the 8 hours of school and the time spend on going back and forth between school and home are overwhelming for students. Please let this one petition be a small impact on what we desire.
A move to a 5 block schedule would be detrimental for extracurriculars and afterschool activities. As of present, the time we already have in school is used in an inefficient manner. Instead, shorten blocks to fit the current schedule, and use available class time for learning concepts instead of working on material and problems that are just as easily done at home. Furthermore, the extension of the school day also prompts the question of whether teachers will see an appropriate pay raise as well. If our teachers are not treated well either, then many will feel less inclined to support the change as well.
Some students NEED flex in order to get help from teachers about assignments, for volunteering and not to mention people even use the breaks to help with work. I notice students during break working on assignments with their teacher and my friends and I have visited our teachers during flex and it's seriously helped us. I understand the district is doing this so that the students unable to actually go to the school can go to school, but then again, sacrificing the flex by adding the 5 blocks is just taking away a huge privilege for the students that ARE going to the school
ITS BOT FAIR THAT WE HAVE TO STAY AT SCHOOL LONGER AND HOW WOULD WE EVEN BE ABLE TO REACH TO TEACHERS FOR HELP. What if some kid lived in Coquitlam and it takes like an hour for them to get to their school, they wouldnt even be able to ask in person anymore.
clubs etc. will have to take place either before school or after school till 6pm+. my time doesn’t allow for that and neither does the times of many club members
hell no
STOPPPP
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As a student athlete, I find this very troubling since it's already had enough to balance school and sports while having extracurriculars outside if school, so if the 5 period day were to be established, I wouldn't have ANY free time or time to relax myself, not even weekends, and I can confidently say that this implies to hundreds of other students in the Burnaby district