A 0 Period Health class will be offered to Venice students before the school day next semester.

According to health teacher and department chair Sophie Sabbah, health students had “too much screen time,” and would feel drained after the typical 9-2:15 distance learning schedule. Therefore, Sabbah came up with a compromise. 

“It was for students’ and mine mental health and sanity,” she said.

At the beginning of this school year, the configuration of students’ schedules to meet graduation requirements was uncertain due to distance learning. Venice High came up with the idea to implement a block schedule, which consisted of only three-hour-long classes a day. 

This new schedule, however, exempted the previously held seventh periods. 

She began to poll her students and their parents about having Health moved from after school to before school. This would be the same schedule students followed prior to distance learning in hopes of keeping it as similar to in-person learning as possible. 

“I think the students like it more because it feels more normal,” said junior Aleea Bruno, who is taking the class now. “I feel it was necessary because if it was later in the day, I don’t think as many people would actually go to their 0 Period.”