As of the 2025-2026 school year, administrators have decided that morning announcements at Cherry Hill East High School will no longer be at the beginning of first period each day, but rather at the end.

The morning announcements have always been a staple at Cherry Hill East, informing students on a variety of subjects ranging from athletics to school activities and after-school club fundraisers. East students listen to the announcements for the recent news delivered in an easily accessible way. Many agree that the announcements worked well prior to the change. So the question is, why move them?

The answer is simple: students were consistently showing up to class late, using the morning announcements as a grace period to get to class after the 7:30 bell. Teachers typically wouldn’t start their lessons until after the announcements, leading students to believe that they wouldn’t be counted as late as long as they were in class by the time the announcements ended. Administration believes that when the announcements are moved to the end of the first period, students will be forced to show up on time and be prepared to learn promptly at 7:30. They also believe students will pay closer attention to the announcements if they are at the end of the period.

Some teachers agree that this new morning announcement schedule will lead to students being more productive and constructive with their class time. The announcements at the end of the first period allow students to seamlessly transition into the day ready to learn instead of having to wait for the announcements to end.

According to Ms. Cotoni, Class of 2028 Student Government Association Advisor, “[starting early] promotes the ability for [teachers] to get classes started right at 7:30.”
This allows for a more cohesive learning environment for all students.
“It’s been better getting students into the classroom a bit earlier…students have been able to come in, get started at 7:30, and I’ve seen more focus with that first 20-25 minutes.” adds Cotoni.

For the most part, East students are welcoming to this change. “[This new announcement schedule] starts the day off jumping straight into the work,” said Allen Alekprov (‘28).

On the other hand, Alekprov also mentions how the announcements used to “warm [students] up into the day,” which was helpful for him, especially in order to wake up and be ready to learn.

However, Scott Barrett (‘28) believes “the timing of it is pretty awkward.” The announcements at the beginning of the day were normal for students, and this change feels unusual to some who see no need for change.

“In class, I’m in the flow of things, and then the announcements come on and it’s just annoying,” said Barrett. These new announcements could get in the way of students after they have been working for the whole period, or even students finishing a test in the last few minutes of the period.

This change in the announcements marks the first of many possible changes this year as East hopes to constantly improve in order to enhance students’ learning experience.