Times have changed. Classes are slightly shorter, everyone’s scrambling to finish school work and Ranger Time, once a weekly thing, has turned into a full-time 35-minute period pit.

“I was shocked and kind of happy because it was only on Wednesdays [last year],” junior Edie Monceaux said. “We have extra time to work on homework, so I know that it helps you.”

When students heard that Ranger Time would be daily, they doubted it would actually benefit them during the school hours.

“[Ranger Time] makes the days go on longer, but I think the administration needs to rethink it again,” senior Faith Olson said. “A lot of kids just use that time to do random stuff, and there are few who actually utilize it”.

But Ranger Time is for all students who choose to benefit from it. Last year, a teacher committee discussed the students and what they needed. Teacher-student surveys were launched to fully commit to finding ways to encourage students to choose what they need.

“I think we find that there’s so many benefits to Ranger Time that we gladly take on the organization of it,” assistant principal Holly Raffaeli said. “If anything, we look at it as a chance to make our school better.”

Ranger Time is used for tutorials and extra time on homework Monday through Thursday, and on Fridays, students can meet with their clubs, as opposed to before and after school sessions.

“If I need to go to a club or talk to a teacher, I have that extra time,” Monceaux said. “It doesn’t cut into my class time or [have] to stay after school.”

The portal website to Ranger Time is where students can log on with their student ID and password and choose what times and what classes they want. Students can choose any teacher class for the day and they can also sign up for days in advance.

“They made [the portal] too confusing, and they need more time to work on it,” Monceaux said. “If I could change it, I would make it more accessible.”

Ranger Time might create a huge pause in the school schedule, but it is a way to give to students a chance to connect with teachers, academically and socially.

“Teachers were excited that kids are picking to come to them to get help,” Raffaeli said. “Doing Ranger Time boosts our culture, and it gives students a chance to succeed to even greater amounts.”