Greenhill students recently tested a new Upper School block schedule that will be used next year, and the reviews have been mostly positive.

The schedule consists of a day with four classes, each 85 minutes long. Among the changes: the school day will start at 8:30, and instead of beginning the morning with advisory, students will go straight to class.

Greenhill administrators said the new schedule is supposed to result in less homework for students, reducing stress and improving mental health among the student body. It will also enable students to learn more information in one class block.

Senior Katie Brodsky is among those students who think the trial went really well.

“The new block schedule has added a lot of free time to my schedule and I haven’t had as much homework this week,” Brodsky said. “I’m glad the students next year will get to experience it.”

Another goal of the new schedule is to keep teachers from having to cram lesson plans into a 55-minute period, teachers and administrators said.

Sophomore Charlotte Brown is another student who liked the test schedule.

“It felt like my day wasn’t as packed because we didn’t have as many classes,” Brown said. “The classes that we did have, I got a lot done in that class.”

The schedule has alternating days designated “green” and “gold.” Gold days have community time for 85 minutes where students can attend club meetings or catch up on work if they don’t have a break. Every two rotations of the colors will be a “hornet” day, with every class meeting for 50 minutes and no advisory.

The new block schedule will be implemented in the 2020-2021 school year.