On Oct. 21, club advisors received an email from district administration requesting all eighth period meetings be halted immediately. This email sparked controversy amongst club-involved students at PVHS.
Administration received an email from a PVHS teacher asking if students can leave eighth-hour classes to go to eighth period clubs. Admin clarified that students cannot miss these classes to attend clubs.
The age-old policy enforced by administration sparks concerns over the purpose of the academic day. Technically, eighth period is still a school period as school ends at 3:30, but many students do not have eighth hour classes or resource periods are still bound by the policy. By allowing eighth hour clubs, administrators feel as though there are complications over attendance and the academic purpose of the period.
Operation Smile, a club that meets exclusively during eighth period, felt the policy was unfair. “Eighth period clubs are the most accessible time for almost all students and teachers. Clubs are created to provide students an opportunity to pursue their passions, but when students can’t even go to the club meetings, that right to learn is stripped from them,” voiced Ramandeep Kaur, a junior on the Operation Smile executive team.
This sentiment was common amongst members of all clubs. Using eighth period as a meeting time for clubs provided flexible timing for all students. For students involved in morning college classes or riding the bus, eighth periods were a great way to utilize the last forty minutes of the school day.
For students involved in athletics after school, eighth period served as a perfect time to meet before practice, allowing students to engage in both sports and club activities.
Eighth hour accommodated students in various activities, “There have been many occasions where I am not available after school or before school due to my job and Scott classes. Other people who have athletic activities also run into this issue on many occasions,” said junior Natalie Brown, “This is why eighth-period clubs work, because they accommodate all students.”
Due to convenient meeting times, eighth-period clubs attracted many students who were looking for ways to get involved. Because the policy forbids this, many club leaders fear they will lose student involvement.
While newer clubs struggle to navigate this policy, upperclassmen recall similar struggles of shutting down clubs after being compelled to meet outside of eighth period. Senior Gabi Ragins saw this firsthand with Girls Learn International, “Last year, GLI was unable to restart because many of the people who were interested in it were participating in sports as was I. In general, it was hard to find a time to meet because people had early morning activities or they were doing sports after school.”
Without eighth period availability, students will continue to lose opportunities to explore their passions and participate in diverse activities.
Administration believes eighth hour club meetings will be a distraction. Yet many teachers feel eighth hour is beneficial for their personal schedules. “I do have family responsibilities so I leave after school at 3:45 pm. I want to help students and be a part of Operation Smile but it does take away from my life duties too,” expressed teacher and Operation Smile advisor Angie Staber, “It was really convenient to be able to squeeze in a couple meetings during eighth period.”
Eighth-period clubs ensure all students can participate in various activities without having to pick and choose. All students should have the opportunity to participate in sports, music, clubs and academic activities with school support.
