Each morning at The Village High School, students amble into their classrooms (or log into their virtual ones!) at 8 a.m., bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready to absorb copious amounts of information! But before class officially starts, every student and teacher experiences a check-in period lasting from 8 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. Check-in occurs every weekday except for Wednesdays and was a new addition to the schedule this year. The time is reserved to allow announcements from clubs or Student Government to be played, or have students and staff partake in destressing activities. As busy members of The Village School, whether we be high school students just wanting to get started with their day, or teachers having to take time out of their day to play multiple videos, one has to wonder – Is the check-in period really necessary?

There are three main points to consider – What period is the check-in period shaving a bit of time off of, is the period being used efficiently, and are students and/or staff truly responding to it?

First off, where is the check-in period taking 10 minutes from? This is a milder point to consider, but it provides context as to why it was implemented in the 2020-2021 school year. The schedule last year had a few minute differences to the one we use today – no 10 minute check-in period in the morning, an extra five minutes in each lunch period, and five extra minutes in advisory. So this truly is not too large of a sacrifice for students and staff to make at all, as we lose five minutes in an already generous lunch period. In comparison, according to a 2011 USA Today study, most high schools offer their middle and upper school students with approximately 30 minute lunch periods, so going from 45 minutes to 40 minutes is not a drastic difference. The five minutes from advisory is also not too large of a loss, as advisory does not have a very strict agenda.

Next, we must consider if the period is being used efficiently. As a concept, having 10 minutes at the start of the day to simply relax, unwind, and prepare your mind for the day sounds advantageous. However, ideas which seem almost too good to be true often end up literally being too good to be true. I see two main issues with how the check-in period is currently being used. First, the videos that are allotted in the 10 minute time slot either do not fill up the time at all or overshoot the allotted time. Sometimes only one video is given to be played that is merely one minute long, while at other times, three five minute videos are expected to be played when only 10 minutes are given. My second issue with the use of this period is that sometimes the videos are rarely ever played. Some teachers simply skip playing the videos to utilize the “10 extra minutes”, but by doing so, students may miss important announcements or opportunities to unwind. 

Finally, and arguably the most important aspect to this topic, is whether or not students and staff are responding to the check-in period. Some students and staff I have discussed with strongly dislike the check-in period, as they see it as frivolous and unnecessary. Others, on the other hand, seem to enjoy it, but are often disappointed with what exactly goes into the period. Essentially, the general consensus is  a negative one.

After considering the three major factors of the check-in period, my final opinion is that the check-in periods are not necessary. At least, the way they are being executed currently is frivolous and counterproductive to its purpose. Right now, these 10 minutes, while we have seen some success with the meditation portion and club announcements, do not really aid anyone at VHS. If it is not changed, it is highly recommended that important announcements be shifted to the advisory period. It is also a productive idea to have advisory absorb all of what the check-in period is supposed to offer. However, if this period is open to a change in structure, I would recommend improving upon, first, finding a way to ensure that teachers play the videos for check-in, and second, making sure these videos fit the allotted ten minute period. If these solutions are implemented, students and staff can start off their days at The Village School with a bit more pep in their steps.