From 'kind of sucks' to easier focus: Whitehorse students have mixed feelings about half-day classes

After a month of half-dayclasses, Whitehorsehigh schoolstudentshave mixed feelingsabout thenew pandemic schedule with some teensstressed out, while others love part-time class.

"It's fun but it kind of sucks," said Mackenzie Keefer, a Grade 10 student at F.H. Collins Secondary School. Shesaid it's hard when you can't ask a teacher for help, orbounce ideas with other students.

"You're missing out on having the support system."

Waiting for the bus to go home at lunchtime, Grade 11 student Lisa Freeman saidshe likes having onlytwo classes per day.

"I find I do work better at home because I can work on my own pace and it's not in a noisy classroom," said Freeman.

As part of Yukon's pandemic schoolplan, most Whitehorse Grade 10 to 12 students attend in-personclass half the day, either in the morning or afternoon. The rest of the day they do work at home, or in a supervised study hall.

Officials with the Department of Education saytheyopted for the half-day scheduletocomply with the chief medical officer's safety guidelines which recommend limited student mixing and physical distancing while still offering regular classes.

Grade 10 student Chris Murrantsays his sleep schedule and focus is better doing afternoon classes (he will do morning classesnext semester).

"Whenever I wake up for a full day at 7in the morning, I am not going to pay attention," said Murrant.

But hisfriend Devyn Rollins,says there area lot of distractions at home.

Keefer said she tries to do homework in the afternoon, but often helps out around the house or watchesTV.

The half-day decision has received backlash from some parents, who say the department should prioritize getting all kids back to class full-time.

"I continue to be frustrated as a parent," said Tiffanie Tasane, who has a son in Grade 12. She says she's had little communication about what her son should be doing at home.

"I'm worried about boredom and what that can breed."

Aislynn Thompson-Elias, a Grade 11 student at Porter Creek Secondary School, told CBC's Yukon Morningthatit's harder to get herquestions answered via email.

Grade 11 Easton Sauer says she's stressed by the workload andfeels like classes are rushed as teachers try to crameverything in.

Vanier Catholic Secondary School Principal Ryan Sikkes has previously told CBC the schedule willhelp prepare students for university, which includes more independent learning. He said teachers typically give students a lot of time to work in class.

But Gabriel Hopkins, a Grade 12 student at Porter Creek Secondary School, says many students he knows are getting "super stressed out" by the amount ofwork they have to do at home. Hopkins' mother, Angela Drainville,runs a Facebook group for "Yukoners concerned about Grades 10 to 12," where parents have been voicing their concerns sincesummer.

Deputy Education Minister Nicole Morgan says the department will send out a surveyasking about half-day classes in November.

The department says it will continue to monitorprogramming for the first semester and makenecessary adjustments for second semester.

Tasane says she's frustrated by a lack of communication about when students could be back full-time.

"It feels like the decision's been made, there's no looking at it again, deal with it."