Everyone knows the scariest day of the year is approaching. No, not Halloween– October 17th, the end of term. Spooky as it may be, Consultation could help ease the fright.

Beginning October 15th, students can try to repair their grades Mondays from 1:35 to 2:15. While this alone may not be enough for some of us, one thing is sure: The debate over Consultation will potentially affect many students and teachers alike.

The facts aren’t lost on students. “End of term actually determines our future, whereas Halloween- well, it’s just a day.” senior Marco Santa Maria agrees. Consultation attendance has historically reflected such sentiments. The Monday prior to end of term has seen 540 students attending Consultation, compared to just 200-300 students the following weeks.

Assistant principal Mr. Bingham acknowledged that “some teachers aren’t using Consultation at all” and the small percentage of students taking full advantage throughout the term were primarily “top level students who were already passing their [higher level] classes”.

The administration noticed this trend of focused attendance and decided to use Consultation time more effectively. The original solution was replacing Consultation with teacher department meetings until the final weeks of the term, when Consultation would then provide the necessary end of term support. Principal Dr. Montero kept a “little 15-20 minute window between when school gets out and when teachers start their meetings when you can go in” to allow student and teacher communication without the full block of time.

However, after one term of this structure, teachers received an email with “a few updates and clarification regarding Consultation.” It reads, “For the time being, we are reinstating Consultation starting Monday, October 15th . . . [it] will be held weekly each Monday”. Busses will leave at 2:23.

Some students rejoice for this change, others don’t. When asked about the change, Senior Isaac Fillmore said he felt “it was a big time waster”, but quickly corrected himself saying “it was nice since the teachers are usually busy.” Sophomore Julia Herrera said prior to the changes, “I have a job after school so I can’t ride the late bus. . . [so for] the people who actually need it, I think that it’s really useful. Science teachers used it, math teachers used it, personally, I would want it back.”

Herrera also pointed out how “the people who want to go home can just go home, it’s like an early out for them, but for the people who actually need it, it’s really useful.” The administration wants to “reinforce. . . that Consultation is not early out but a time built within the school schedule that students should take advantage of, as needed.”

Regardless of your individual opinion on Consultation, it’s yours to use however you like. It’s back for now, but is not guaranteed to stick around unless students are using it effectively. Happy end of term!