In an effort to cut down excessive student tardiness and motivate students to come to school on time, Preuss implemented a new rule that assigns habitually tardy students lunch duty with the custodians and will have to pick trash around the campus, mostly the cafeteria and the tables. The policy took effect on December 16th before winter break. If students receive over five tardies, they will be assigned lunch duty.
Since this rule was implemented, multiple students who have arrived tardy for school have received these consequences, which has caught the attention of other students to not be tardy.
“I have given awareness to people about this consequence so they can know not to receive tardy’s which have benefited them,” states Vanessa Venancio (‘28).
In order for students to improve their ways and not be habitually tardy, Ms. Ally, the attendance coordinator, started enforcing this rule later in the year.
“I started implementing referrals for lunch duty the week before we went on Winter Break. That means that I began counting tardies accumulated from December 16th on,” states Ms. Ally, attendance coordinator.
As the school tries to help students take responsibility for their actions. Ms. Ally emphasized how important it is for students to help with the school while also taking responsibility at the same time.
“I feel like it is important for all students to give back to their communities, and in many ways, helping the custodial staff shouldn’t be seen as a punishment, but rather an opportunity for reflection and recognition of the people that do so much for our school as a whole,” states Ms. Ally.
Many students aren’t pleased with how they have to spend their lunch with something they do not want to do. According to students, they would rather spend their time during lunch doing activities such as playing sports and being involved with club meetings, spending time with their friends, etc.
“When I had to spend my lunch picking up trash I was a little bored and would rather play soccer but I still got through it and will try not to be tardy,” states Vanessa Venancio (‘28).
The school tries to emphasize the school’s efforts to try to decrease students receiving more tardies. In order to also try to achieve that goal the school has also been trying other ways to decrease tardiness.
“Certainly we have seen some kids that have had the consequences of being tardy improve their attendance. I think what has really been official is the communication with home,” states Ms. Brown, Vice Principal.
Ms. Ally understands how it can be difficult for students to come on time to school every single day. She wants students to understand that this consequence is a process which will hopefully guide them to arrive at school on time.
“What I hope to accomplish through the lunch duty assignments is that students are motivated to have better time management skills and create good habits, rather than ‘changing their act’ to get to school on time,” states Ms. Ally.
Ms. Ally has noticed that students are taking accountability for their attendance record. According to Ms. Ally more students are stepping up and are not continuing to come to school late.
“I really learned from my actions and to always just follow the rules so these situations do not happen again to me,” states Venancio (‘28).
