By Raegan Yaste, Eliana Johnson & Avery Williams, Eighth-Grade
LOUISVILLE, AUGUST 18 – During the 2025-26 school year, Seventh-Grade Voyagers were on a different schedule than the majority of the school. Now eighth-graders, those students are adjusting to a waterfall schedule.
Last year’s voyagers had a static schedule, meaning they had the same class at the same time each day. A waterfall schedule changes the times of classes each day. Many students have shared difficulties in adjusting, with several sharing they’ve walked into the wrong class and felt embarrassed.
“It is more confusing than last year, yet it does make the year less of a bore,” Eighth-grader August Kotheimer said.
Another eighth-grader, Eliana Johnson added, “I don’t care that much, but it can be annoying because you have to remember a different order of your classes each day.”
Other students expressed confusion and frustration about forgetting which times they have each class, although they experienced a waterfall schedule as sixth graders.
“I hate it,” Illyria Zhita said. “I could never get used to it. I’m just going to keep checking my schedule the entire year.”
Eighth-grade teacher Andy Ames pointed out the pros and cons.
“Students are different at certain times of day,” he said. “They tend to be sleepy in the morning and wired in the afternoon. Certain class periods get cut each day. By moving classes around, the time they’re in each class is more consistent.
He added students’ productivity fluctuates depending on the time of day and which class may get cut due to lunch. Ames also pointed out that high school is different.
“High school is not like that,” Ames said. “It makes it harder for students to adjust in high school.”