GOA Settles Into New Schedule

By Arielle Karni ‘26
GOA administration has built an all-new schedule for this school year, including new classes and study periods. Over these first few months, students and faculty alike have adapted to this structural overhaul swiftly and efficiently.

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Dr. Apter said, “The [primary] goal of this new schedule was to create more opportunities for learning such as morning meetings, flex block, inquiry lab and ‘Roadrunner Time.’ Secondly, [it] was to add classes in the high school to create a richer opportunity to reflect what other schools are doing such as Jewish history, art, independent study and more classes in certain subjects.”
The most dramatic change in the school day is the quieter shift from one class to the next, as transitions are no longer marked by deafening bells. The responsibility is now on each teacher to alert their students that a period has ended. Gone are official four-minute passing periods, which have been replaced by a “soft” transition into the next class.
“Four minutes was never really long enough to get anything productive done,” commented freshman Josh Berelowitz, “and I find the ‘brain break’ at the beginning of each class to be a much less stressful way to turn to a new subject.”
The minutes saved from eliminating four minute passing periods have been reallocated to a ten minute break three times per week, and a 34 minute “flex block” twice a week.
Freshman Amber Fulop finds the ten-minute break helpful, saying “it is a great time for a quick study review before a test in the next period, or a chance to speak with a teacher to clarify a question.”
Freshman Gracie Sacks looks forward to the flex periods. “I know that I will have a lighter night of homework if I am efficient with my time during flex period,” she explained.
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the formerly sixty-minute lunch period is divided into a forty-minute and twenty-minute period, separated by two full class periods. 
Freshman Ashton Weiss acknowledged that “If we have a sixty-minute lunch period, we will sit around with our friends and eat lunch for the entire time, even though we don’t really need sixty minutes to eat. Now I use student time to knock out a homework assignment.”
During the first week of school,  eighth grader Layla Sharret said that “the day seemed to go much slower with the new schedule.” Yet after a few weeks of becoming accustomed to the new schedule, she "now [knows] how to maximize the breaks to make [her] take-home workload less cumbersome.”
Teachers are also finding advantages in the soft transitions and shorter breaks. “A little more informal schmoozing time with students and staff is just one benefit we see emanating from the new schedule,” said Ms. Sonet.
Students and faculty also see a comeback to the pre-COVID tradition of Upper School Kabbalat Shabbat Tefillah, where the entire school joins together for the first period on Fridays. 
“The vibe in Tefillah on Fridays reminds me of camp,” reflected freshman Brandon Schall.
“We sing and dance, and it can feel less formal and more spiritual than weekday Tefillah,” said senior Sophie Fischer. 
While the new schedule changes may take some additional adjustment, student and teacher reaction so far is incredibly positive. “There will be more student-centered time outside of the classroom, so there is less pressure and overall stress,” predicted guidance counselor Mrs. Schenker.