As the first semester comes to a close at the end of January, freshmen at Edison are preparing for their first major schedule change. With the start of the new semester, many ninth-grade students will transition from music to gym classes and switch between art and health courses, marking an important shift in their first year of high school.

While these changes have always been within the school’s scheduling system, they can feel big for freshmen adjusting to new classes and teachers. The transition also requires careful planning by staff to manage class sizes. This year, gym and music classes are expected to reach about 40 students, while art and health classes remain smaller, with fewer seats available. Freshmen are the only grade affected by these semester-based program changes.

According to Ms. Arevalo, Program Office Chairperson, the scheduling process is designed to be straightforward. “The switches are very direct and follow a consistent system,” Arevalo said. “Typically, health and art classes are switched with one another during the same period, which helps minimize disruptions.”

Teachers who work closely with freshmen say the semester switch has long been a consistent part of Edison’s structure. Ms. Amy Bolender, a music teacher who has taught at Edison for 20 years, explained that the school has always followed a half-year model for art and music classes.

“Since I’ve been here, we’ve always had half music and half art, to fulfill the arts requirement,” Bolender said. “The goal is really to give students an introduction and help them build an appreciation for music that they can connect to other parts of their life.” Ms. Bolender added that students are reminded about the upcoming schedule change throughout the semester, particularly as Regents Week approaches.

Despite the structured system behind the schedule changes, some freshmen say they are not fully informed about what to expect before the new semester begins. Communication about how schedules will change often reaches students a few times, which may not be enough for these new students.

“​​I was waiting for my new schedule and asked my art teacher, but even he himself didn’t know. So he just said to wait until the assistant principal came into my gym class,” said Sophia Lliguin, a freshman at Thomas Edison High School. “But I believe it varies from student to student. Since I’m in JROTC we have to give JROTC a period of its own. This upcoming semester will be having health but for music there are two options. One was to have music 1st period and a 1-9 period schedule. The second was to have art 10th period once a week, but have additional work online.”

While individual schedules can vary depending on programs like JROTC, many freshmen look to peer-based support systems for guidance when questions arise. One of the primary resources for ninth graders is PGC, a student-led program designed to help freshmen adjust to the academic and social expectations of high school.

“I don’t think we’ve mentioned it recently, but it was definitely a discussion we had with our group of freshmen when we were talking about questions they had about high school,” said Tasniah Emdad, a PGC leader. “We were telling them about gym classes and clubs, and we kind of told them that the gym classes would end up switching, but we haven’t told them formally.”

Tasniah Emdad’s experience reflects the broader role PGC plays in supporting freshmen. As upperclassmen who have already navigated similar schedule changes, PGC leaders often serve as a comfortable point of contact for freshmen seeking clarification about classes and what to expect as the school year progresses.

Ms. Arevalo acknowledged that clearer communication could help ease the transition for freshmen. She explained that in the past, she created a one-page guide outlining general information about semester schedule changes.

 “Maybe the school can make a one-pager like this and share it with the freshmen and the teachers who teach music, art, health, and physical education,” Arevalo said. “We could put it on the website or in the freshman Google Classroom.”