The School System
{NOTE: SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BEST IF I EXPLAIN HOW THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WORKS... OR AT LEAST HOW I SEE IT WORKING IN THE BOOK.}
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So all the students live on the school grounds. The dorms are separated on either side of the main school building. Boys' dormitories are to the right when you exit the front doors and the girls' dormitories are to the left. The students are all supposed to arrive on a Sunday, the day before any classes, to have their first assembly. It's also the day the new students (first-years) are shown around the school area by the SRC (Student Representation Council). They are shown around quite a few times and are each handed a small map of the classrooms. This is so the older students' (fourth years and higher) class time is not taken away from them. The first years are required to return the map at the end of the school year for the next batch of first years.
The teachers arrive at the school one week before and start on a Saturday. In that week the teachers help organize and print out the students' timetables. All subjects are selected at the end of the previous year to make this process more efficient. The teachers end a week after the school closes for the holidays. That week is used mainly for the teachers' benefit in organizing their class schedules. Monday is the first day of all classes and each timetable is printed according to the days (Monday - Friday) and subject choices of each student. This makes the cycle of classes repeat for 5 days, each of the subjects being spread out evenly through the week.
First and second-year students start with classes at 9:30 and finish the day at 2:30. That is a 5 hour day.
Third and fourth-year students will start at 9 and finish the day at 3:30. That is a 6 and a half hour day.
Fifth and sixth-year students start their classes at 8:30 and finish at 4:30. That is an 8 hour day.
There is an hour and a half change over for each phase so that there are no complications with the teachers' schedules. Each teacher has at least one class from each grade (i.e. at least 6 classes per teacher).
Lunch is alternated with the class times for each phase to prevent bullying from the older kids. However, there is at least a 10-minute overlap between each phase. Sports practices can run as late as 6:30 (i.e. 2 hour practice time for older students). There are three age groups that classify all the sports. The U15 (Under 15) group consists of anyone that is 13 to 15 years of age. The U17 group is for ages 15 to 17. The Open Group is for all other students from the age of 17. The overlap in ages is to allow some leniency in sports applications. Sometimes, depending on the sport, an older student teaches the younger students. Those can only be merit students who are guaranteed to be up to date with their classwork, in case the practice time overlaps with their last class. There is a curfew at 10 pm for all students. This means that all students are to be in their dorm rooms and ready for bed. The final "lights out" is at midnight. The curfew doesn't differ, like the school times.
Transfer students are given some leniency with the deadlines for subject choices. Since the principal and teachers are busy with timetables, the first available date to allow transfers to select their subjects would be Monday. That is unless the transfers are seen to the year before. Usually, transfers are for higher grades (i.e. third years and higher). They will be given a guide for the first 2 to 3 weeks of school. The guide is always a scholar or merit student who teachers know will keep up with their work. This is to avoid any disadvantages transfers may have in navigating the school along with disadvantages the students helping them may have when missing classes. The students who help the transfers attend the classes they have that may overlap with that of the transfer. This keeps them from falling too far behind in their own work.
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{I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM MORE. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN IT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.}
(680 words)