New Year, New Faces and New Rules
Phones, bathrooms and earbuds become hot topic at Menor
November 19, 2022
High school students are thinking twice about pulling out their cell phones in a Colegio Menor classroom this 2022-2023 school year.
Among the many new aspects of life on campus this year, cell phone use and bathroom passes are two of the major issues that broad-sweeping policy changes seek to address. These changes have been implemented alongside the installation of an entirely new administration at the high school level and beyond.
In the first weeks of school, students were introduced to a handful of behavior policies approved by new high school principal Michael Anderson. It has been his duty, with help from new assistant principal Anabella Andrade, to see that the behavior policies get put into place.
The intention of these new rules and regulations (seen in the graphic below) was to get kids back on track in their academic pursuits and help teachers with their classroom management.
“I sat down with a group of teachers… and they said that overwhelmingly it was very hard to get students away from their phones,” Anderson said. “Our kids were on their technology all the time… and teachers couldn’t get their attention away from their phones.”
Changes to the cell phone policy are a major piece of an overhaul that is designed to improve classroom management across campus in the new school year. Other changes include students being limited to the number of bathroom passes they can use and the upgrade to the point system that is used to assess students’ behavior.
So far, according to science teacher and parent, Mane Vasconez, the changes are perceived to be an improvement among the classroom teachers at Menor. She mentioned how easier teaching is to maintain students’ attention, yet is worried about the lack of responsibility kids will face after being told exactly what to do.
“The only thing I disagree with is the phone policy… just in terms of (teaching kids) responsibility,” said Vasconez.
Students now have a total of three bathroom passes for each partial, in each of their classes. In past years, students were not limited to the amount of times they could ask to leave class. While the passes have influenced students’ decisions, others are becoming frustrated with infrequent closures of high school bathroom facilities (see related story below).
All these tweaks to rules and behavior policies tie into a point system, which is meant to hold students accountable. Reports for behavior will go home alongside report cards for grades and can affect a student’s ability to impress colleges and universities.
With the new changes and policies in place, Anderson suggested that there have been positive results so far this school year. As weeks pass, there are fewer phone violations and fewer conduct reports being filed.
Anderson took the time to share his thoughts on these policies in an opinion piece for The Ojo. According to Anderson, many of the policies are not long term solutions.
“Let’s see how much we have learned and how many students have learned to self-regulate,” Anderson wrote to The Ojo. “Maybe there will be a day when I stop receiving cell phone violations in my email and we can get to a place where we no longer need the policy.”
Anderson went on to say that other policies regarding student behavior are always possible. Students with headphones in during classes could be the next item on the list of improvements that need to be made.
Many Students See the Bright Side
Rule changes come with an up-side to some students
Over the past three months at Colegio Menor, new rules and regulations have been a controversial topic for students. The campus has made serious move to become a structured educational center again and things could not remain the same as they once were.
While many students were prepared for a change and can see the positive impacts that having a stricter behavior plan has made, the fast transition from one way of living to the next has been a challenge.
“I think that the school has made the right decision by implementing these rules since they needed to make changes,” said Andres Benevides, an 11th Grade student. “But I also don’t think that the rules should be as strict as they are right now.”
Teachers are holding up their end of the bargain in classrooms — limiting students to three bathroom passes, as well as marking more students tardy for class. Many classes are now taking place with better classroom management and students are not skipping anymore, meaning that these rules are working in some ways.
For these reasons, numerous students at Colegio Menor have agreed that the new rules implemented by the school heads have been good for the well-being of the whole school, teachers included.
“I think it is correct because the past few years the school has been very disorganized and the students have been out of control,” said Sergio Davalos, who is also in Grade 11. “This year we’ve seen dramatic change in both how students work and act during their classes.”
“The rules implemented have been a change for all of us, but I think they are for the better and will help us engage more in the classroom,” said Alegria Davila, the StuGov Vice President. “We’re breaking the patterns we had when we were online.”
It seems that even though it has been uncomfortable, the school is changing for the better. Administration, staff, and students are on the same page, which points out how united the Colegio Menor community is beginning a new year.
Potty problems: bathroom issue begins to stink
Locked doors begin to upset some students
While cell phones in classrooms have been the main focus of attention to begin the school year, it’s a different issue that students are saying is beginning to stink.
This year, a new bathroom policy has been put into pace, throwing out the past policies of allowing students to use the bathroom with the consent of their teacher. No longer are students permitted to use the bathroom without unlimited use, getting just three passes per partial, per class.
While the limit of three trips to the bathroom during a class per partial seems to be going over smooth, intermittent closures of certain bathrooms on campus is beginning to wear on students.
“I don’t like that they limit the use of the bathroom to all of us, just because there is a group of people who don’t do what they should,” said Jose Manuel del Pozo, a senior.
People were starting to come to peace with the bathroom policy, until bathrooms were locked and could only be opened with a key that has be obtained by the office. While some people are suggesting that the closures are due to certain illicit activities going on in the bathrooms, the schedule and reason for these closures is not clear.
Some bathrooms, such as the one upstairs in the high school hallway, are locked more than others. Many times, this happens during breaks, lunch, and other times when high school students have free time.
According to Julia Davalos, a high school counselor, there are some other ways that the issue of bad behavior in the bathroom could be resolved.
“I think that the duties of the teachers must be changed since the behavior of the students is very good,” said Davalos. “It’s better to put adults outside the bathrooms, so that they are open and students have more access.”