Photo courtesy of Kaylee Ivey
This fall, all Hastings High students were introduced to new policies in a mission to prevent truancy and keep students in class by adding hall monitors, e-hall passes, and cell phone caddies.
Part of the new e-hall pass system is there is a five-minute time limit for your bathroom breaks before a hall monitor is alerted.
“I don’t think the new policies are fair to students because I feel like I’m in jail because we’re not allowed to do anything. The policies have made school dreadful,” sophomore Kaylynn Waters said. “I think you should be able to go to the bathroom as long as you need without a timer limiting your bathroom usage or hall monitors coming to check on you.”
When students enter class, they are expected to put phones in the assigned number of the caddy. If a student chooses to keep their phone in their bag or pockets and a teacher or hall monitor sees the phone, they will give no warnings and take the phone to the office.
“I don’t think the policies are bad, but I feel they could find better ways that make kids more comfortable. I know the goal was to keep kids away from distractions being their phones, but there may be situations when a student needs their device,” said sophomore Andrea Perez.
Another new policy at HHS is the addition of hall monitors. There are two hall monitors out during each period watching the halls for students who are out of class too long, in the wrong place, or skipping. The hall monitors have a tablet that is connected to the e-hall pass system, which allows the teachers to see all the students and where they’re supposed to be in the halls.
“I think it’s a good relationship builder with students when we stop a student in the hall for an ID or to ask them where they’re heading. Not only are we making sure they’re doing what’s expected, but also learning their name,” Elizabeth Sorgenfrei, a hall monitor and English teacher, at HHS said, “If I walk into a bathroom and someone doesn’t feel well or needs a feminine product, I can take care of that right there without the student having to go to the nurse for those products.”
The new policies at HHS are aiming to help HHS get one percent better every day. Linden hopes that by the end of the year, Hastings High will have successfully raised their attendance average. With the new policies, the administration hopes truancy decreases and students begin seeing the importance of their education.
