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January 10, 2008

New policies support student responsibility

Margaret Larson

SALEM — With a new school year comes new rules, and not everybody is thrilled about them.

"Absences should be a rare occurrence," the school handbook says in its explanation of the new attendance policy. According to this policy, students who exceed two unexcused absences per quarter per class automatically get an AF | a 59 | for that class. It sounds harsh, but according to school staff, it's the only way to keep kids from skipping. Ms. Carol Carr of the Business Department mentioned that last year, students could get away with as many as 10 absences per quarter, without punishment. And as Mr Andrew Wulf, Housemaster of Essex House said, "Students can't learn if they're not in school."

In addition to the new attendance rule, students who arrive at school any later than 7:24 a.m. are now given detention. Two tardies to a class is equal to an unexcused absence, and so is one tardy later than 20 minutes.

Another new rule states that all students must remain in the lobby until 7:12 a.m. Wulf explains that this is because teachers don't report until 7:12, and until then, there aren't enough people to be responsible for the students. He also said that before the new hall policy, there were some problems with vandalism.

Some of the biggest changes this year are the elimination of homeroom and a new lunch schedule. With the new lunch schedule, third lunch has been cut. Wulf says that this was a way to hold kids accountable and make sure that they stay in lunch.

About homeroom, Wulf says that it just "didn't work out the way it should have." Students weren't staying in their homerooms. Like the new lunch schedule, it all came down to students being responsible.

Now that the new student IDs have finally come in for all students, students will have to wear them visibly at all times. Students who do not have their IDs visible will face detention after the second offense. Ms. Diane McGrane of student Activities said in some other schools, students without an ID would not even be allowed to enter the building.

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