By Kailyn Huynh and Minh Ngoc Le
New school year, new bell schedule—but sometimes, new things aren’t as great as they may seem.
Towards the end of the preceding school year, teachers at Fountain Valley High School voted for a new bell schedule, taking effect in the 2023-2024 school year. The major difference was the lack of break between second and third periods, and passing periods were shortened to seven minutes instead of the usual eight minutes.
Eight Barons shared their opinions on the change, ranging from issues with the lack of breaks to the schedule’s toll on their mental health.
Photos by Tyler Josephson.
Katelyn Nguyen- Junior
“I don’t appreciate it,” junior Katelynn Nguyen said. “Although we do get out earlier, I don’t think it’s worth sacrificing our break. I have a zero through six, with my sixth period being a sport, so it tends to go past normal school hours. Since I’m taking other extracurriculars, my day just gets longer and I don’t get much time to focus on my personal hobbies and activities.”
Sarah Nguyen- Junior
“I really miss [having] break. I get really hungry and tired during third period, which is usually the class right after break. I really need break back,” junior Sarah Nguyen said. “I have a zero through sixth and feel a lot more tired after school, especially because of the new change. Let me just emphasize that.”
Kara Nghiem- Sophomore
“I get really hungry during classes and I kind of miss [having] break. I wish they would implement it again next year,” sophomore Kara Nghiem said. “I have a zero through fifth, and usually between second and third [period], I get really hungry. I also miss it as a time to socialize with my friends and also having time to study for my other classes.”
Nathan Nguyen- Senior
“I liked that we could get out earlier, but I don’t like that we don’t have a break in between,” senior Nathan Nguyen said. “Normally I could get food in between the passing periods and break, but now I can’t really do that.”
Vinh Nguyen- Junior
“I need a break. [I miss] being able to sit down and just relax,” junior Vinh Nguyen said. “ I have a first through fifth, so that’s why having four periods in a row is really tiring and boring and I often fall asleep.”
Hannah Sato- Senior
“Honestly, I made a lot of really good friendships last year solely on seeing some kids at break,” senior Hannah Sato said. “We’re still currently friends—we hang out a lot, so without the small break, I feel like I’m not able to see my friends and interact with the people that I want to as much.”
Owen Nacke- Sophomore
“The new schedule isn’t the best because there is no break,” sophomore Owen Nacke said. “I enjoyed the break because it was a moment [for me] to pause, eat and take a rest between classes. And now that I don’t have that, I just eat in my classes and get off task.”
Hang Nguyen- Freshmen
“I feel kind of tired because the schedule is too overwhelming and we don’t have time at break to rest,” freshman Hang Nguyen said. “The lunch is just too short and I feel like we should have more breaks.”
The interviewees, picked at random, unanimously expressed negative sentiments towards the current bell schedule. Many Barons are overwhelmed and experiencing more symptoms of tiredness and hunger during their classes. Although we were only able to interview a small batch of people, it is clear that a majority of students wish for a break again.
