Creek administration changed the finals schedule to minimize student stress by spreading out the amount of exams over four days rather than the previous three. However, many students are confused and apprehensive about this change.

According to Assistant Principal Marcus McDavid, who played a role in the decision to redesign the schedule, the first thought was to distribute the testing days over a longer period of time to make finals season more manageable for students.

“So the idea was to try to space [the finals exams] out, and we simply did it based on the number of kids who are off each period,” McDavid said.

During a normal school year, the finals schedule is completely randomized. However, this year it was strategically crafted to accommodate students and teachers. For instance, the sole final on Friday is meant to give teachers time to put final grades in before the end of the school day and so upperclassmen have Friday off.

According to McDavid, administration took student’s off-periods into consideration.

“Half the kids at Cherry Creek High School have eighth period off, and a good portion of our sophomores and freshmen have fourth off,” McDavid said. “So the hope then, is that on the second day, [most students] wouldn’t have three exams on that particular day.”

The new schedule also planned for an assembly on Friday afternoon. Every school district has a certain amount of in-school minutes that kids have to be in school in order to meet the state requirements. According to McDavid, the assembly on Friday could help Creek meet those requirements in the case of any snow days or any other unforeseen missing school days.

“It doesn’t really bother me,” senior Tess Arfin said. “[I] didn’t realize [the schedule] changed, it doesn’t affect anyone who doesn’t have an 8th period.” Arfin believes the schedule change is meant to take off stress for people since it makes it so some students don’t have three finals two days in a row.

Sophomore Arianna Fernandez doesn’t know why administration created an extra day for finals. “I like the old schedule better because we had Fridays off and an extra day to make up for finals,” Fernandez said.

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