Adapting to the New Galloway Routine

Has adapting to the new Galloway routine been a struggle or success for students?

Nearly a month into the new school year, the students of Galloway are struggling with many issues throughout the launch of the new high school campus. From the new schedule rotation to the parking situation to the shuttle, every member of this community has needed to adjust to a new Galloway routine. The main facet of the new Galloway routine is the campus change. This change caused mixed feelings throughout Galloway’s community. Certain aspects, such as the distance, the carpool situation, classes, and siblings at the Chastain campus, were all critical factors in how the situation would play out. People had to find new places to hang out, like the piazza, the field, and a new senior commons, replacing spots like the green, the library, and the old senior commons. Many people lived close to Galloway Chastain, and an additional 15-minute drive is disruptive to family morning routines.

One big issue within this routine is the parking situation. One week before the first day of school kicked off, the junior class was stripped of their parking privileges, even though the school administration promised the junior class enough parking spaces. After it was announced, the junior class erupted, fighting for what they were promised. Many juniors were actively looking for a solution, but one junior, Baxter Hernacki, had the most significant impact on this situation. I asked Baxter what his initial reaction was and what caused him to step up: “What caused me to step up was the students' reaction. It had come to my attention that many students did not like the new policy and were confused because they had been told they would be able to drive to the new campus. As an elected representative, I felt it necessary to voice these concerns promptly to the school administrators. Families make transportation plans long before the school year starts, and it seems unfair for the school to change their minds at the last minute.” He brings up a fantastic point about how families plan for transportation. Adults have work to attend, siblings have different campuses, and everyone's routine is different. Thankfully,  Hernacki’s motivation to develop a solution ultimately granted the Juniors parking privileges within the first week of school.

Another noticeable change made to the Galloway routine is the shift in schedule. Last year, the schedule would rotate class by class every other day. For example, Monday’s schedule would be Periods 1, 2, 3, and 4, and then Wednesday would play out Periods 2, 3, 4, 1. This would be beneficial if students had free periods, granting students a late start or an early dismissal. As of the 2024/25 school year, the schedule only shifts once a term, meaning the 1, 2, 3, and 4 rotations are stationary until Term B. This prevents students from revising assignments before class during free periods or, as mentioned earlier, being able to leave school early or attend late. I habitually did homework during free periods before class last year. This would cause me to rush assignments and not put in my best effort. With no shifting of the schedule, there is no way for me to do this, so it forces me to do homework the day before rather than the day it's due, helping me develop better habits and time management skills.

Additionally, adding the shuttle is a massive change to the Galloway routine. Although this doesn’t affect everyone, being on the shuttle could profoundly impact one's morning routine. The shuttle is constantly changing, with one of the more recent changes being the addition of an actual yellow APS school bus rather than two miniature-sized Galloway buses. I asked Caleb Neuman, Junior, how the shuttle affects his morning routine: “The biggest effect the shuttle has on my routine is having to wake up 30 minutes earlier. Last year, my siblings and I were all going to the same campus, so there was no need for the extra 20-minute bus ride to Northside. In addition, the bus tends to be either late or almost late, resulting in me missing attendance sometimes.” Although the shuttle is still a work in progress, on numerous occasions, it has been late and inconsistent in the route and where people get dropped off. As Caleb said, taking the 20-minute ride from Galloway Chastain to Galloway Northside is something all shuttle riders now have to consider every morning, disrupting sleep schedules and basic morning routines. 

The final aspect of the Galloway routine is the lunchtime shift. Initially, lunch would occur between the last two periods from around 12:50 to 1:40. With the new campus shift, lunch occurs at around 11:20 in the middle of the day. This change, along with the unappealing lunches served and lack of places to sit, has prevented me and others from enjoying this period of the day as much as I used to. 11:20 is not an ideal time to eat lunch. This, along with no class rotation, has disrupted the schedule we Galloway high schoolers are used to.

Returning to the question, “Has adapting to the new Galloway routine been a struggle or success for students?” I believe the new routine was a struggle for the majority at the start, although, in recent weeks, everyone has been slowly adapting. Eventually, once everything is fixed, this will be a successful transition.