“Behind school Doors: Haines High undercover”
Student Council Meeting Addresses Student Handbook
ASB president Jim Lampkins met with students informally last Thursday to discuss questionable rules and policies in the student handbook. A variety of topics were discussed at the meeting.
Three major rules brought up at the meeting were all supported by Lampkins. One change, which seems to have the most support is the hat rule: “All students shall, as a manner of courtesy, refrain from wearing hats in the school building during regular school hours.” Because not all teachers care whether or not the students wear hats, Lampkins hopes the rule will change so that students will be able to wear hats at their teachers’ discretion.
Another issue that was mentioned was the food and drink rule, which says that students can’t eat or drink anything in any classroom during school hours. The only exception is drinking water in closed containers. Lampkins hopes kids will be able to eat or drink anything with teachers’ permission. He believes teachers should have more control over their classrooms and not be told how to teach his/her class.
The last major problem with the handbook is the attendance policy. If a student is absent for eight days in a semester, the school board may deny the course credit. Presently, there is a lot of controversy over what is excused and unexcused. To be exempt of any disciplinary actions, a note from a parent is all a student needs, but absences from school sponsored trips are the only absences excused from having to petition the school board for credit. If a student misses eight days from illness, hunting, fishing or family vacations, the student must petition the school board for credit. Lampkins’ goal is to have absences excused from disciplinary actions also be excused from the eight days needed for possibility of denied credit.
Lampkins wants to remind students that in order for them to get what they want, they in turn need to make sacrifices. The custodians have been complaining about how students don’t pick up after themselves. Students leave food and wrappers scattered across the open area after lunch and don’t show any respect for school property. This needs to change if the student body wants people to listen to them.
Petitions are going to be sent around the school and Lampkins is going to take these issues to the PAT and school board to try and get the desired changes. If students show more respect to the school and if the right arguments are made, hopefully the student body will experience more freedoms and better enjoy their high school years.
