Owen Gibney ’24

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Flex Wednesday should be brought back to Strake’s schedule because it provides flexibility for students, teachers, and families in an otherwise rigid schedule.

As a freshman last year during the pandemic, Flex Wednesday allowed me to get extra rest to rejuvenate before returning to school, and it also allowed me to study material more thoroughly and time to catch up or get ahead. 

I know several students who stay up past midnight doing schoolwork sometimes, so bringing back Flex Wednesday will allow these students to get enough sleep. Because of the academic rigor at Strake Jesuit in addition to the many extracurricular activities students are involved in, many students likely struggle to get enough sleep, so Flex Wednesday will give students a guaranteed window to get at least eight hours of sleep. Having a day to rest and manage your own time can benefit physical and mental health, and will improve the overall morale of students.

Flex Wednesday is also great for teachers because they too will benefit from a gap in the week to bridge gaps in their work. It allows teachers more time to prepare lessons, and it also allows them to provide office hours to students, facilitating productive student-teacher interaction. Teachers should have higher expectations of their students who will have the opportunity to produce more quality work. 

Although some may think that Flex Wednesday causes disconnection and laziness, it can encourage students to be productive. Flex Wednesday also provides families with a guaranteed spot in the week to schedule appointments and such for their students.

With a renewed Flex Wednesday, Advisories should be held a few hours later so that students can get enough sleep, and clubs can also meet during the day. Teachers can assign a few things for students to work on as well, balancing the load of academics and extracurricular activities.

If Flex Wednesday is reintegrated into our schedule, Strake Jesuit students and teachers will be healthier and better prepared for the challenges they face.