DePaul Prep’s passing periods on Tuesdays and Thursdays used to be five minutes long. After many student complaints about five minutes being too short to move from class to class, the school administration changed the five minute passing periods to seven minutes, beginning at the start of the second semester. Faculty and student response to this change has been overwhelmingly positive. Not only has there been an improvement in attendance, but students have felt more relief going into their next period.

Sophomore Lucy Liegel was one of the students who complained about the lack of time during the five minute passing periods. She states, “Because most of my classes are so far apart, I would constantly have to explain to my teachers why I was late, in hopes they wouldn’t give me a warning.” 

Liegel then went on to explain how classes were even harder to get to because of the South Wing addition and congested hallway. “It would take me almost 5 minutes to just get through the hallway, giving me no time to go to my locker.” She says that even an extra two minutes now helps her prepare and get to class in time. 

For a school with a growing student population, hallways can get crammed when students are in a rush to get to their class and lockers. Because the South Wing has one hallway that leads to 20 different classes and a lunch room, students found themselves literally standing still while trying to get to where they needed to be. 

Junior Marizabel Pena, was one of these students who expressed this concern. Pena’s locker is in the East Wing, so when trying to get to classes in the South Wing she would many times be late to class or have to skip going to her locker altogether. She states, “Five minutes to gather all my supplies was almost impossible to make it to class on time, which led to me being very unprepared for class.” This made her stressed and frustrated because this little time was out of her control.

Freshman Zoe Cappel shares the stress relief she has felt with an additional time in between passing periods.

“Coming to a new school was scary, so when I only had five minutes to get to class I was many times confused on where my classes were and how to get there.” She goes on to explain how seven minutes has helped her get into a better routine where she can go to her locker and then to class, without feeling rushed and overwhelmed.

Yoga teacher Taylor Vasey also praises the additional passing period time. “Seven minutes are a lot better, because it gives students more time to go to their locker especially for P.E.” In these cold weather months, students have to go grab not only their gym clothes but coats as well, which makes it very hard to arrive to class on time.

Vasey says that because of this longer time there are, “Not as many kids wandering in late like they were in the 5 minute passing periods.” She has noticed a significant difference in her students’ attendance and is grateful that now she gets her class started faster and smoother.

Dean Lord also shares how there have been less complaints about students getting “caught up in the hallways.” She as well as the other deans and faculty supported this change after the Student Government presented the idea. Lord thinks that seven minutes are a lot more manageable and give students a good amount of time to get to their classes.

Despite the mostly positive feedback, there has been some concern and issues with the time changes in when classes start and end. Since passing periods are seven minutes, classes start at uneven times that are hard to remember especially in the shift between blue and red days. Yoga teacher Vasey states,  “I, as well as my students have gotten very confused because of these new times.” However, she does go on to explain that as time goes on she thinks that she will eventually be able to adjust. 

Overall the shift from five minute to seven minute passing periods has made a difference in students’ lives. With extra time in between learning, many students feel that their stress is relieved and they are able to go to class feeling relaxed, rather than overwhelmed.

“The school looks forward to receiving more positive feedback, and is open to any changes or complaints students might have,” Dean Lord states.