In December of this year, for the first time ever, administration decided to cancel Midterm Exams due to loss of school days during the Fall semester, a result of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

In place of exams, the regular Fall semester was extended, allowing teachers two weeks to extend their curriculum and students to catch on any missed material.

The decision to forgo exams was generally well-received by students, faculty, and parents, proving to be a refreshing change that boosted morale and lowered stress. 

The Fall semester’s unique finish has many students wondering— is this a change that will continue next year?  And what about Final Exams? 

According to the Upper School Director Mrs.Conn, final exams are a go, but in the future, changes to the midterms and final exam routines may be on the horizon. 

“We decided we need finals to help prepare our students for college and that was always gonna be our decision, ” Conn said, “but we acknowledge how stressful they are.” 

Mrs. Conn and Mr. Moore have already enacted creative measures and policies on campus, and exam protocol may be no different.  

Conn mentioned that in the future we may “consider not having finals for our freshman, and eventually all grades if students were to maintain a B+ and keep a good attendance.”

“As of right now, though, we still see midterms being part of our school schedule next year,” Conn said. 

Student Mathew Morris was one of many who believed midterms being canceled was beneficial. 

“Not having midterms was a huge stress reliever and took off a lot of pressure,” Morris said. “To me having finals just doesn’t make sense and I would be willing to bet that AP scores would go up.”

For some students, though, like senior Austin Varga, exams are an important part of the learning process. 

“No one wants to take finals, myself included but I think we should have finals for the betterment of our students,” Varga said.  

For many teachers, the two weeks of extra curriculum was a welcome reprieve from the storm of midterm exams. 

English teacher Mr. Johnson said midterms often take up valuable time and space, including from crucial AP exam prep. 

“I miss having the long block during midterms to test kids for AP exams, and I dislike how much they [midterms] weigh and believe the value is way out of proportion.”