At a student recognition convocation on May 15, Principal Tom Harmas presents to students in the auditorium as well as through a CHTV broadcast, alongside senior class president Meredith Lipps, junior class president Ana Mercado and sophomore class president Mia Bruder. Harmas said he is currently working on hiring teachers for next year and drafting a potential new schedule with a later start for high school students.

On Tuesday May 16, representatives from AdvancedED—a company that evaluates schools—will be on the CHS campus evaluating classes and speaking with administrators, according to Principal Tom Harmas. Harmas also said he has been working on hiring teachers next year and finalizing what classes will be available for students. From an administrative standpoint, Harmas said he is currently considering a new schedule for next year that would allow a later start time in the morning, but he said this is only a potential plan and is in no way finalized. Also, he said a new schedule will be provided for seniors who have a B2 Final since graduation falls on the last day of school this year, creating some time conflicts.

Harmas said AdvancedEd representatives will observe classes on Tuesday May 16, but students should expect activities at CHS to proceed normally.

Of teacher hiring, Harmas said this is a long process that occurs every year to determine which teachers will teach which classes and how many new teachers are needed.

“We’re starting to figure out exactly which positions we have open and starting do to staffing for those people leaving and for the extra positions that we have. We just finished the master schedule for next year—all the classes and sections we’re going to offer—and now the department chairs will take those sections and decide who’s going to teach what. Mr. Schaller and Ms. Borto put all that together. They worked months on it to get it done,” Harmas said.

Since graduation will be on May 30 this year, the same Thursday that is the last day of school, Harmas said he is still troubleshooting a schedule for seniors who have to take a B2 Final on that day.

“We’ve been putting together a senior schedule that their B2, moving that off of that last day for those seniors to take those (finals). That hasn’t been etched in stone, but we realize that that’s an issue,” Harmas said.

Student body president Tim Metken said while he has heard other students are unhappy with graduation being on the last day of school, he personally is a fan of this change.

“I would just say some of the people I’ve talked to are like ‘I don’t want to do all of that in one day,’” Metken said. “(However), I’m a fan honestly. Graduation won’t be extremely exciting for me, but i just think it’s cool it’s on the last day of school. It just kind of gets it all over with. I guess it’s kind of convenient too; like you wake up and say this is my last day of school, and I graduate today.”

Harmas said, while still in initial stages, a new schedule for next year has been proposed, which will have school start roughly around 8:30 a.m. and end around 3:30 p.m., versus the current 7:50 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. times. Harmas said Superintendent Michael Beresford and the members of the school board are the ones who will finalize this decision.

“If it comes to fruition we (already) have a schedule that will work and that we feel pretty confident about,” Harmas said. “However, that will all have to go through the Superintendent’s office and the (School) Board. We know we can meet the needs of CHS students and CHS teachers.” By Carson TerBush