Rumors of a schedule change next year, namely the addition of a seventh period, have sparked conversations in all circles of campus recently. Student debates on the subject have even appeared on social media sites, like Twitter. But in spite of some mixed reactions, there is one fact that most students agree on: the change was clouded in a sort of uncertainty, and after filling out an emailed survey from the administration, students were left to mostly speculate about the proposed seventh period. Cathedral’s administration is not releasing results of this survey, as they plan to distribute a more accurate one in the months to come. El Cid will be following developments in the schedule change, and recently sat down with assistant principal Mrs. Sharon Rubalcava to separate the rumors from truth about the change.

Rumor: It’s a drastic, sudden change. Actually, it has been discussed for quite some time and will make our schedule more similar to other Catholic schools. “It’s nothing new,” said Mrs. Rubalcava. “I started here eight school years ago, and it was even talked about then… We’re one of the few Catholic schools that still offers only six classes.” Due to the mere six classes currently offered, Cathedral’s cumulative grade point averages have been slightly lower than other private and public schools. This has been attributed to the fact that Cathedral students have fewer opportunities to take advanced classes, especially since one of our six periods is already a mandated religion class. 

Rumor: All students will be burdened with a seventh academic course. This, again, is not necessarily true. The seventh period is set to be a fixed block, meaning that it will occur at the same time everyday, last period, and will be exempt from the red and gold block scheduling. This fixed scheduling offers significant, exciting new opportunities for students. “The way that we’re hoping it [the extra period] will evolve is to involve internships, UCSD extension classes, study hall, and test prep. For a student that doesn’t want seven academics, we’re not going to force that at all,” said Mrs. Rubalcava. The period will also have options for academic courses, performing arts classes, and Avid student support.

Rumor: The UCSD extension courses are the same as our current AP classes. With the typical Advanced Placement classes, college credit is determined by achievement on the AP exam in May, and some colleges still do not accept these scores. The proposed UCSD extension courses are college credit classes, meaning college credit is simply determined by achievement in the class. “It’s like taking a course at UCSD,” said Mrs. Rubalcava. The classes will either be taught by UCSD professors or Cathedral teachers who are eligible. To be eligible, a teacher must have a masters degree in his subject. The administration expects to have an official list of these classes by late January, so that students can consider them when choosing their schedule for next year.

Rumor: School will be starting much earlier and ending much later. Cathedral administration has to consider the start and dismissal times of the schools that share the area, Torrey Pines and Canyon Crest. “If our school could just choose numbers right now out of hats, we’re looking at about 7:55 or 8:00 a.m. start and a 2:30 p.m. dismissal,” said Mrs. Rubalcava. Students enrolled in zero period, which will not be offered next year, will actually have a shorter school day compared to their 7:15-2:00 school day this year.

“Change is good,” said Mrs. Rubalcava. “We have to look at the big picture and how we can help students.”