Saved by the bell?
Beginning the first day of the 2017-2018 school year, the one minute bell will be abolished in hopes of creating more punctual students.
“We looked at attendance and tardies, but tardies were more pervasive, like ‘What can we do with this?’ It’s like whack-a-mole.
— Principal Karen Calcaterra
Principal Karen Calcaterra said, “We looked at attendance and tardies, but tardies were more pervasive, like ‘What can we do with this?’ It’s like whack-a-mole.”
Calcaterra and other staff members have noticed that many students converse for the first five minutes of the six minute passing period, using the one minute bell as the signal to get to class.
“You cannot make it anywhere in one minute,” Calcaterra said. “That’s where some collective conversation came in about ‘What if we got rid of the one minute bell to see if that improved student responsibility about being on time?’”
A universal definition of what it means to be tardy has been agreed upon by staff members.
“If you are not in the room by the time the bell rings, you are tardy,” Calcaterra said.
Teachers will take steps to help students arrive to class on time.
“[Teachers] said they think that it should be an expectation that teachers are at their door in the hallway welcoming kids in because they want to be able to see their kids in the hall and see other staff members,” Calcaterra said.
While Calcaterra is hopeful for less tardies due to this change, she assures the one minute bell can be reinstated if the number of tardies persists or increases.
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