By Emily Qin ‘25, News Editor

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Even though school started just a few weeks ago, it may feel like we have been in school long enough that we can start preparing for our next summer break. Whether this feeling may be due to academic workload, extracurriculars, or early wake-up times, anyone in the Newark Academy community would probably be in favor of a break. This break would be especially welcome if the next week’s schedule on MyNA shows at least one major assessment a day.

Thankfully, that shouldn’t happen often, but even seeing a few assessments on the agenda when trying to have a relaxing weekend can feel daunting. Taking one test is never easy — let alone multiple in one day — which past students have recognized and brought to the administration’s attention. So, Newark Academy currently upholds a daily assessment limit of two and a half assessments. Major assessments such as tests, essays, or formal labs all count towards one full assessment, while minor assessments like quizzes count as one half of an assessment. If a student has at least two tests and a quiz in one day, they can change the date of one of the assessments after discussion with their teachers and Dr. Atwell or Mr. Ashburn. 

While this rule was present for quite some time, current student body president, Harold Fullilove ‘23, explains that he, along with student council representatives Rahul Arora ‘23 and Jamie Shen ‘24, aimed to add an extension of the rule for a more “long-term version of assessment overload.” In 2022, the three co-writers revisited this old assessment regulation, rewriting it so that a student may request to get any additional assessment postponed if they have four major assessments in one school week. If a student is enrolled in six academic courses, a student must have five major assessments in one week in order to postpone one.

This new regulation is intended to be a strong step in supporting the mental health of Newark Academy’s student body. Harold says that one of his primary motives behind altering the already existing assessment limit is to support the many NA students who are constantly stressed about their heavy workloads. The faculty and administration were open to student suggestions that would aid in improving the mental health of NA students, and approved the newly-written assessment rule in order to mediate the student body’s workload stress. 

Although it is important to stay on top of your classes, it is also imperative to know your own limits and when you need to take a breather. Knowing about this new change in the assessment rule may prove to be helpful, as it can help with alleviating some of the stress that academics may cause in the coming months. Harold also notes that having a weekly assessment limit may motivate students to view their coursework on a more long-term scale, which would encourage better study habits and time management skills.  So, if you ever see one too many major assessments on your weekly schedule, make sure to notify Dr. Atwell at least two days in advance of your assessments if you would like to postpone one! This assessment rule is a helping hand from current NA students to future generations of stressed NA students, so don’t be afraid to speak up if you would also like to change the future for diligent test takers and procrastinators alike.