There have been many changes made to the Collaboration system, one of the main ones being the timing.

“It will occur in the afternoons on the third Thursday of every month,” Principal Vincent Randazzo said. “Classes will end at 1:30 and the buses will depart at 2:10.”

This change gives teachers an opportunity to be more active during the Collaboration time period.

“I like the idea of collaborating in the afternoon, in the morning the first part of the process was just everyone waking up, but in the afternoon, it will be easier to get to work,” English teacher Sean Hardy said.

There are many reasons that these changes were made, including more time to collaborate, and less tardies and absences in the mornings.

“We were looking for a different time to collaborate where teachers do not feel hemmed in to an ending time,” Randazzo said.

Randazzo thinks that this new method of Collaboration will provide good changes for AHS. The faculty hopes to add more instructional time to the year by adding these changes.

“This new method will reduce the unused instructional time, last year we wasted 17 hours of time that could have been spent teaching, this year it will only be five and a half,” Randazzo said.

While Randazzo does have positive outlook, there has been a mixed reaction from students.

“Students need that one day of sleeping in,” junior Richard Manahl said. “I know for me, it helped me focus a lot more.”

Some students see this as taking away their day of sleeping in, while others see it as a chance to finish the day on a good note.

“I think it will be better for students because they can end the day with something easy,” sophomore Julie Swenton said.

Despite students apathy towards the changes, Randazzo thinks that the changes will provide more opportunities for students to learn and achieve in school.

“Our teachers have more time to reflect and plan things, which helps our students achieve more, be more effective, and have a good learning process,” Randazzo said.

The schedule for the Collaboration days will be W2, W8, W6, and Atom Time. After Atom time, students with a way home will be allowed to leave school. Everyone else will be required to wait in a designated location for the buses to arrive.