For most high school students, a study period is time built into their schedule for getting work from their other classes done. At Regina, it’s no different; the majority of Regina students have one period set aside for completing work from their seven other classes. 

However, some schools have begun to implement free periods into their curriculum. Depending on when students have this free period, they have the option to come to school late, leave campus, or go home early. Schools in the Chicagoland area that give students the opportunity for a free period are Loyola Academy and Notre Dame College Prep. 

Regina runs on a block schedule, meaning there are eight classes total that switch off daily. Instead of going to all their classes in one day, students go to four periods with each class lasting eighty minutes. In contrast, Notre Dame has seven periods in which students go to five each day. The last two classes of each day are dropped, and the two periods that a student didn’t attend on a particular day are their first two classes the following day. This schedule is compatible with allowing students a free period because the time in which students have them falls differently each day.

Regina’s President Krista Gallagher thought it would be a great way for students, especially seniors, to have some freedom and learn how to manage their time responsibly before they go off to college.

The minimum amount of instructed work time for high schools in Illinois is five hours. If students were to be able to leave during their study period, it would deduct 80 minutes of  required time, which would put Regina under the required limit.  Despite the many benefits of transitioning into free periods, Gallagher made it clear that it wouldn’t be possible without making the school day longer.

Teachers that moderate study periods get a firsthand experience of how students use their time. This can give them some perspective to the drawbacks or benefits of potentially allowing Regina students to leave during their study periods. 

Physics teacher, Samuel Stunkel, said: “I see students usually working on something, and if they’re not working, they’re chatting with their friends having finished their work. I’ve actually witnessed several students say ‘No I don’t have time, I have to get my work done.’”

One of Stunkel’s main qualms of turning study periods into free periods is that students have a hefty workload. He believed that having a built-in, structured time for schoolwork is great for students, especially since a large number of Regina girls balance taking rigorous classes and being involved in athletics and other extracurriculars. 

Another point he brought up is that many students are able to use their study periods to meet with teachers and retake tests. Some students are not able to stay for office hours, which occur every weekday from 2:30-3:30pm, excluding Thursdays. Having a study period is another resource for receiving extra help for those that have obligations outside of school. 

Nic Adamo, Social Studies teacher and study moderator, thinks that coming in late and leaving early when you have a study first or last period is a good idea but not leaving in the middle of the day. Since staff is responsible for students the second they walk into the building, they wouldn’t be able to make sure students are safe if they left campus in the middle of the day. 

Guidance Counselor Terese Sullivan believed that students would have to ensure that they are are completing their work in a timely manner and making sure that they’re in a good place academically before they should be given the privilege to either arrive early or come in early, instead of attending their study hall. Her perspective regarding study periods is that they are unnecessary for students to have for all four years.

She said, “Junior and senior years, truthfully, I think a student should have a class instead of a study. I just think, as a high school student, you should take advantage of any and all classes you can take.”

Sullivan’s opinion was that students should utilize the hour that they have after school to get work done. 

In terms of leaving campus, Sullivan believes that students should always be on time; therefore they should not be allowed to come late to school if they have a first period study. Nevertheless, she is not opposed to letting upperclassmen leave campus. 

“As a counseling professional, I have no problem with them leaving campus as long as they’re back on time for their next class, they’re not doing illegal things, or they’re just running to the store and doing whatever.”

When asked about students leaving during their studies, Guidance Counselor Christine Beeftink responded with a strong, “No.” She has previously worked in schools where they allowed this and she has seen the downfalls there are to it. Because students wouldn’t be able to get help from their teachers or collaborate with classmates, she thinks students would benefit more from staying on campus during their study periods. 

Beeftink brought up having the privilege to leave during studies for second semester seniors as a reward if they are on the road to graduation, have good grades, and have a good attendance record. She thinks it would be a good incentive for them to work harder.

In order for Regina to convert study periods to free periods, administrators have to be on board with the idea. Principal, Dr. Kathleen Porreca, made it clear that it was not a concept she was comfortable with introducing to Regina. 

Just like President Gallagher, she brought up the legal requirement of having five hours of instructional time per day. Because not all hours spent at school are instructional,— like lunch, passing periods, or religious services — parts of the day, including advisory, study hall, and office hours, have to count as instructional time. Therefore, in order for study hall to become a free period, the school day would have to be longer. 

Dr. Porreca brought up an instance when a poll was sent out to Regina families asking if they would prefer to extend the school day, so classes could begin later. In the end, the consensus was that students would rather continue to start class at 7:45 am, because of noted drawbacks to the proposal such as interference with athletics and the timeliness of students arriving home in the evening. 

Finding an incentive for seniors to get good grades was already a conversation that Dr. Porreca has had. She said, “We might be able to work around the study hall issue if it was a limited time period.” 

However, Dr. Porreca strongly agrees with the position that study periods are beneficial to students for many reasons. “It’s built into your schedule to have that time that’s earmarked for ‘this is time that I can spend doing my homework or studying or focusing— or reading for pleasure if that’s what I want to do today.’ The school day can be so hectic and have so many activities that just a little time that’s yours to structure— to do however you think you need to use it— I think is valuable,” she said. 

She also acknowledged the difficulty of the Regina curriculum. The Regina curriculum is made to challenge students, with various college level courses being offered. “We should not create a system that’s really pushing and challenging people unless you also have a system that is built to support people and help them cope with that, so study hall is designed to do that,” she said. 

Overall, there were many different opinions across the board from teachers and administrators. If Regina was to switch study periods to free periods, a formal conversation would need to be had, and it would, without a doubt, be a lengthy process. Based on the varying ideas and viewpoints, one can conclude that it doesn’t look like Regina will be letting students leave campus or arrive late anytime soon, but it is not an impossible prospect.