Despite the long summer heat and Labor Day still days away, the campus is bustling. However, like schools across the country, teacher inservice days are already scheduled, bringing students the relief a half day can provide.

Campus students experienced their first half day of the school year, Aug. 21. Once a month, students only have 30 minute classes, where students get released at 12 p.m. However, the day does not end for the teachers and staff at noon.

With their extra afternoon, students can choose to spend the rest of their day doing homework, head out to lunch or go to sports practices. Some even take a nap.

Principal Todd Bennett attends teacher inservice meetings alongside the staff. He organizes these meetings because it helps the teachers learn more about their jobs and what they should do next.

“On half days, we provide staff development for the teachers, so although the students leave at noon, the teachers still have to stay until three or four in the afternoon,” Bennett said. “We keep them {teachers} in meetings; they’re either in departments or divisions or as a whole group and they’re learning new techniques or planning. The first half day we went over some safety issues at school, and and then we broke into department meetings.”

As a first time teacher, English II and IV advisor Amy Deffenbacher already benefited a lot during her first half day.

“I hoped to accomplish something academic in the short period I had with my students,” Deffenbacher said. “I also planned on using the time after school to be better prepared for what comes next.”

Being one of the many students that have witnessed the half day, Sydney Belmont, ’17, likes to spend her time on finishing her homework.

“I usually go home and take a nap before volleyball practice,” Belmont said. “Sometimes I go out to lunch with my friends. Half days give me more time to do my homework and understand it better.”

Bailey Brogan, ’16, uses his time more wisely. He spends his time with his family most of the time.

“Since its a half day, I go home early, go home, eat lunch, sleep, do homework, sleep, do more homework and then go to bed,” Brogan said.

Sometimes, people spend their half days by taking a nap before homework, like Andrew Guthrie, ’15. He spends his half day a little more differently.

“On half days, I like to hang out with friends and catch up on sleep,” Guthrie said. “It also gives me a chance to work on homework and understand the basics of it.”

Suzy Carroll, ’14, mostly enjoys her half days. As a senior in high school, she likes to spend the rest of her day on lunch and homework.

“I just enjoy being able to go home early,” Suzy said. “Sometimes I like to go to lunch with my friends and do my homework so I don’t have to spend all night doing it.”

The schedule of half days this year are as follows:
First semester
? Sept. 18
? Oct. 16
? Nov. 6
? Dec. 11
? Dec. 13

Second semester
? Jan. 15
? Feb. 26
? March 19
? May 7
? May 22
? May 23

This writer can be reached on Twitter at @mattgarza2017. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.

For more features, read the Aug. 28 article, Deffenbacher assimilates into new role, classes (VIDEO).