Currently, the HDSB is proposing a horrible “alternative” to the current quadmester system. Quadmesters are wreaking havoc on high school students’ mental health. Currently, we are doing at least two or more lessons a day, followed by two/three days worth of homework a night- especially for Academic subjects. The workload and amount of work presented, plus the homework is too much for us students to process, retain, or even ask for clarity. Now, the plan for next year is to double that. Students will be expected to process and retain the compacted and accelerated course content, for four courses, bi-weekly; switching through their four courses every other week. Sounds awful, doesn't it? How is this supposed to help decrease the stress we students are currently experiencing? It’s not going to since you’ve just doubled it! High school students and staff will ALL be fully vaccinated by the start of September. So why can’t we go back to the normal 5 month-4 course semesters? I know this will be better for my mental health, my peers and other high students, and the teachers. We have endured a year and a half of disrupted education, let’s get back to school.

Dear HCDSB, put your students in a position to succeed and actually improve our mental health. DO NOT follow HDSB's horrible 'new plan.' NONE OF YOUR STUDENTS WANT OR WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS. High students are struggling right now, and this 'new plan' is not going to help, at all! If you truly care about our mental health, you will figure out a better solution. The current quadmester situation is already bad enough, please, let's go back to normal: 5 month long semesters, 4 courses in each. 

My older sister is going into her third year at University next year, and her school (Queen's) is allowing all their students to come back in person and go back to normality. So why can't we? If universities can figure it out, so can you. EVERYONE IN HIGH SCHOOL: students, teachers, staff, etc, WILL BE FULLY VACCINATED. For the last time, no more of these chopped and sped-up school years, with the impossible and immense amount of work. Let your students go back to actually being properly educated improve (we will wear masks with no complaints- that is literally the least of our worries); improve our mental health extensively; and be able to retain, process, and finish our work and courses to our greatest ability. Let's go back to school. 

Sincerely,

A high school student speaking for all the high students in Halton and Ontario.