RHS will offer its third Zero Period of the year this coming Tuesday, Dec. 10. For the past four years, Zero Periods, which are held during the school day, have provided RHS students with 50 minutes of free time to use however they choose.

“The Zero Period provides us with the opportunity to meet with our teachers and complete our schoolwork,” junior Kevin Kuridza wrote in response to a Rampage survey. “It also provides a quiet space such as classrooms to do any work that needs to be completed.”

Unlike other schools that offer their Zero Periods before school starts in the morning, Randolph provides students with a free period during the school day, with a twice-per-marking period schedule that alternates between mornings and afternoons.

“RHS students already don’t get enough sleep, so a before-school Zero Period would not be beneficial,” senior Brett Shuster said. “I love having our Zero Period during the school day, as it makes me feel very productive.”

Among the students surveyed about where they went during Zero Periods, most said to the Media Center and classrooms, noting that they enjoy the freedom these spaces bring them to collaborate on their work.

Zero Periods are not just for working, however. “The Zero Period also provides us with time to socialize as we can go to various locations such as classrooms,” junior Aryan Alam said.

“I think the Zero Period is a great opportunity for students to get caught up on work and get one-on-one attention from a teacher when lunchtime isn’t available,” said Andrew Palmer, a physics teacher at Randolph. “As a teacher, it can be a bit overwhelming to have so much going on at the same time, but it is encouraging to see our Randolph students using the Zero Period effectively.”

The next Zero Period will be this coming Tuesday, Dec. 10, when students can once again look forward to working efficiently and reconnecting with one another.