School eliminates Eagle Time, causing stress for students, teachers

Haley Medeiros, ColumnistMay 6, 2019Leave a Comment

Every day, the buses arrive at school to pick up students and bring them places. Thanks to the district's new travel policies, these buses will rarely be used to go out of state. The policies affect programs in the Fine arts and Career Technical Education Department.

Editorial: District’s travel guidelines affect students negatively

As he works on his computer, sophomore Mark Carbajal sits in the Eagle Nation Online classroom. He has helped achieve EagleNationOnline.com's 2024-2025 Site Excellence Badge.
"I strived to improve my work, going beyond the requirements of my graphic design assignments," Carbajal said. "[Soon] I had come to the decision that Eagle Nation Online seemed like the most interesting path to me."

Column: From Graphic Designer to Eagle Nation Online Web Designer

As they take a break, the Prosper high school band rests before their next performance. The band lines their instruments up when they are not in use. This instrument is called the mellophone (a marching French Horn).

Opinion: Reporter reflects on band performance, prepares for state

Arm outstretched, Tyler Okonma, professionally known as Tyler, the Creator, dons a mask on the album cover of his upcoming album "CHROMAKOPIA." He will release his album at 6 a.m. EST on Oct. 28. Okonma released the first single from the album, "Noid," on Oct. 21.

Rapper previews 8th album

As cell phones rise to issues, Texas Education Agency Mike Morath, proposes a new policy for ban across public schools. Studies have shown that almost half of America's population is affected by smartphones.

Editorial: Enforcing cell phone policies leads to improvements in students’ education

Autumn Moon Latte in hand, senior Erica Deutsch visits a local coffeeshop, Summer Moon. Deutsch reviewed several coffee shops regarding their fall signature drinks. The list includes Summer Moon, Starbucks, Fourteen Eighteen, Heirloom Haul and Lemma.

Review: Coffee, pumpkin & chai – Oh, my!

According to freshman Eli Deutsch, the Rangers' season is about to end, and they are not going to make the playoffs this season. "Their stats show they've played under expectations and lots have gone wrong for them this year," Deutsch said. "The rangers have lost multiple games and players to injuries." – Graphic created by Eli Deutsch, using Canva.

Opinion: A look into Rangers season

In a graphic created by senior Justin Wang, a student points at a list of important issues. In the attached column, Wang discusses certain topics he thinks politicians should be focusing on, especially with the upcoming presidential election. "While reflecting on these concerns, I found myself wondering which ones politicians should address," Wang said. "Sitting at my desk, I delve into the extent of many of the issues prominent in the U.S. today, leading me to believe that we should shift our focus toward the ongoing issues of the climate crisis, high healthcare costs and lax gun control policies."

Opinion: Student urges politicians to look towards these issues

Kester Muthalaly

Sophomore Maddie Moats stresses over school workload in front of the Eagle Time schedule. The school will no longer offer Eagle Time for the rest of the year. In the attached column, writer Haley Medeiros challenges administrators to reconsider removing Eagle Time from the schedule. “Students need Eagle Time in order to maintain at least a small balance between school work, homework and mental health,” Medeiros said. “If the administration really wants to make time in school more effective, they should shorten the school day, regulate the amount of homework and projects that are given in each class, or just keep the 30-minute study hall.”

My eight-hour job consists of tests, notes, GPAs, constant stress and now, no breaks in between.

Eagle Time is a 30-minute, daily study hall after first period where students can get help from teachers, finish homework or study. For the rest of the year, starting today, May 6, Eagle Time will no longer be offered, and the school is considering getting rid of it next school year.

This is a terrible idea for both students and teachers.

Prosper keeps their students in school from 8 a.m. to almost 4 p.m, the equivalent of a 9-to-5 job. The only difference is students get five more hours of work once they get home.

The philosophy of the high school, as counselors said at orientation, is that students have eight hours at school, eight hours to sleep, and eight hours at home with free time. However, I am still waiting for the “free time” part to kick in.

At the last school I attended in Massachusetts, we started school at 8 a.m. and got out at 2:15 p.m. While this sounds amazing at first, the loads of work we came home with took up all of my after-school time, making it impossible to do anything else except eat, sleep, go to school and do homework.

The problem is, I get the same amount of homework here that I got in Massachusetts, but I have two hours less to get it all done.

Furthermore, not only does Eagle Time give students time to work on assignments, but it also allows time in the day to make up tests and quizzes, pick up missing assignments or get extra help without taking up time before or after school. Teachers have more time to get home, and students can use their eight hours of free time effectively.

It’s true that a small percentage of students use Eagle Time to talk with friends and chill out, but that’s not the case for everyone. I see so many kids working on projects and studying every day. Even if some high schoolers use Eagle Time as 30 minutes to relax, that allows students to be more productive in class. According to research done by the University of Illinois and other colleges and reported by OnlineSchools, a small break to regroup and get organized can actually lower stress levels and raise the ability to pay attention in the classroom.

Students need Eagle Time in order to maintain at least a small balance between school work, homework and mental health. If the administration really wants to make time in school more effective, they should shorten the school day, regulate the amount of homework and projects that are given in each class, or just keep the 30-minute study hall.