There are many elective classes that can switch at semester. Those options include art, psychology, photo imaging, and others. Justin Ball, 11, feels that the switch after first semester gives students more opportunities.

“[I think classes changing at semester] are good because you can get a lot of classes in a year. So you can learn more, and figure out new things. So if you’re like ‘I don’t really like this class this much’ you don’t have to take it for a year. You’re not locked in,” Ball said. 

The upperclassmen may be used to this switch by now, because of all the classes they have taken. 

“I’m a junior so I’ve [switched classes] a bunch of times before, so it’s nothing new. I guess you just jump right in, but with a lot of these electives, it’s a one semester thing so it starts over and then they go through the curriculum,” Ball said. 

Where Ball is accustomed to these changes and goes right in, it is different for Alexandro Garcia, 10. For Garcia, it takes some time for him to get used to the adjustments. 

“I just try to get used to [the shift]. Sometimes I don’t agree with it, like I had [one math teacher] first semester and I really liked it because I liked the way [they] taught [the] class, and then they put me into [a different teacher’s math class]…and I’ve had a harder time trying to focus,” Garcia said. 

Like Garcia, Abby Stallbaumer, art teacher, agrees that student-teacher connections can be difficult from just one semester. 

“[Making connections with students] is a little hard, I feel like in December when I just start to get to know kids, it’s like ‘alright, well, hopefully you take your second half of arts credits with me, so I can get to see what you do now’,” Stallbaumer said. 

Even though Stallbaumer does not always get to see the students reach their full potential, she likes to see the dynamic shifts of all the new classes she has.  

“Every semester, there will be some classes that I teach multiple times, and one of them has just crazy personalities, and [another class] is dead silent. I don’t know how that happens every semester, but it’s always really interesting to see how they interact differently in different classes,” Stallbaumer said.

One reason for this change in class dynamics may be the types of students in the class. 

“There might be a chance my best friend is in that class, but there may be a chance…a person that’s not necessarily the best person to be around could be in that class,” Garcia said. 

Although there are some advantages to having classes change at semester, Garcia is opposed to it and feels like it breaks his system. 

“I feel like if it’s not broken, don’t change it…For the most part if two classes collide with each other then yes, but I feel like for the most part some students keep the same classes, so there’s no need to change the schedule,” Garcia said.