Melanie Satkowiak Reporter and Nicole Wadkins Creative Editor
Photos Nicole Wadkins
Entering the building, students expect to be greeted with the bland sight of white brick corridors, the ashen gray lockers, military grade doors and a restricting security system; all of which blend together to construct a suffocating atmosphere that feels more like a prison than a place of learning, students admit.
However with the start of a new school year, there too, came new additions and changes to the environment.
Instead of white brick, students were met with tape on the walls mapping out a less restricting future. Murals were in progress above the booths, parking spots were being carefully crafted by seniors, classrooms were being designed with colored accent walls and friendly competitions during lunches were being planned. These new, creative and uplifting additions weren’t the only changes being made.
At Back to School night and even on the first day of school, students learned of the new rules that administration would be enforcing and felt completely blindsided by it.
“I think a lot of us found out through the grapevine and that caused a lot of emotions to spark--negative ones at that,” junior Eliana Johnson said. “It’s difficult, for me at least, to go to my locker and get my stuff when all of my classes are at opposite ends of the school. So I feel like I’m running back and forth. And I get to class with a minute to spare if I’m lucky. And then oh, wait, I have to go to the bathroom.”
The adjustment hasn’t been easy, but it’s been a long time coming. During the pandemic, administration put a lot of emphasis on mental health and encouraged kids to just come to school and enforcing rules wasn’t a priority.
However, in the 2021-22 school year, the focus was all about getting students back into classrooms and learning again. For the 2022-23 school year, emphasis was directed towards the schedule change and learning to navigate the challenges that came with switching from the 4-block schedule to the 6-period day.
Now that school has finally returned to a state of normalcy, implementing the rules and regulations that were carried out before COVID-19 has become the next big obstacle.
“I feel that the rules make sense and I am glad to see them in place. We are in line with what most schools do and I think the rules are reasonable and pretty simple,” English teacher Rita Stricklin said.
These previously mentioned rules include the prohibition of backpacks in classrooms and forbidden use of cell phones during designated class time.
In past years, students were able to carry their backpacks to class with them, but with the relaxed rules, students started abusing the privilege. “There were people bringing things to class that they had no business bringing to class,” U.S. History teacher Corey Baird said.
With administration heavily emphasizing the safety of both staff and students, utilizing the lockers felt like the best way to approach the concerns that many teachers were voicing.
As for the phone policy, while many students aren’t happy with the restrictions in place, much of the staff feels that the change will be beneficial for everyone involved.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, everyone’s energy was focused on making accommodations just to have a learning environment, so much so that there was no structure or enforcement of rules. Thus, phones became a makeshift pacifier for students during that time. When things were changing and the going got rough, there was always technology to turn to. Cell phones and other devices became a constant disruption within what was supposed to be a learning environment, eventually getting to the point where teachers were struggling to engage students in lessons.
“It is very hard for teachers to compete for the attention of students, especially when phones offer an endless amount of entertainment,” Stricklin said.
Administrators decided to put a stop to the distractions, as they were not helping in any way to create a positive environment for students to build learning habits and practice disciplined behavior.
Several teachers are happy with how the school year has started out. They no longer feel like a villain for asking their students to not bring their backpack to class or to stop using their phones.
“When you say no backpacks, no phones and if the admin enforces it at their level--it takes the bad guy out of the teacher,” Spanish teacher Christina Villegas. “It took the pressure off from the teachers and just lets us be more of a teacher than a manager.”
Many are optimistic for the coming year, as staff has already noted significant improvements with students--both in class and in the hallways, as there is less loitering and more purposeful use of time by students.
“I feel like they’re more willing to interact with each other and not just the academic stuff that I am making them do but really getting to know their seatmates,” Villegas said.
Additionally, many educators believe that students are more engaged in the classroom with these new regulations in place.
“I have seen improvement with the new rules,” Stricklin said. “Students do seem more focused with fewer distractions.”
“When kids had backpacks they got bored and found ways to entertain themselves,” Villegas said.
“They have less distractions without their backpacks and same thing with their phones. The interesting thing is I feel that kids are more social. So by not having their backpacks and not having their phones, I think this is an improvement.”
Staff also has less to worry about in terms of monitoring bathroom use, as the newly installed vape detectors are working to cut down on students using the restrooms for more recreational purposes, rather than what they’re meant for. This allows teachers to be able to focus more solely on teaching, so that their students can learn and gain a quality education.
With the promise of this year shining bright, there are still a lot of goals that both staff and administration hope to achieve. “We’re striving to create those good habits and create active learners. Our goal is to open the doors of tomorrow, and right now we’re giving you the skill sets you need as you transition out of high school into the next step so you have the skills you need to be successful,” Superintendent Brian Friddle said. As administrators push to find an answer to the burning question of what a quality education is or what it consists of, teachers are also setting goals to have more authority and be able to do more in terms of student behavior and discipline.
“Things got out of control with some of the students,” Baird said. “There’s been more significant issues, a lot more serious stuff than it used to be around here. So these were necessary things we had to do, and for most students it will be a benefit because there are people that cause way too many disruptions to people’s day and then you guys lose a lot of stuff as a result.”
Other teachers agree that it is a relief to have clear rules in place.
“I wish we had more tools in our tool bag. There aren’t a lot of things we can do in regards to student behavior,” Art teacher Jay Langone said. “I mean we can write some kids up for detention or they might get suspended but otherwise [shrugs].”
And these aren’t only the cries from teachers. Other staff members and even students want stability as well. Being able to know who you’re working with, to have an established team of trusted staff members that have relationships with students and other teachers too is so important to creating an environment that is positive, productive and stable--all of which are pillars in an educational setting.
“Whats important to me at this point is I want stability here,” Baird said. “I want us to be able to retain staff. I think if you have a more stable staff it makes things better because you know the building and you can connect more with kids--it makes it more personal. That’s good for everybody, especially for you guys. That’s what I want--stability here--so that you guys have more people you can go to and that makes the school better in general. I want everyone to feel like they can go to somebody.”
And Stockbridge isn’t the only school district experiencing these impactful changes.
At Leslie High School, students and staff alike are also implementing new rules, traditions as well as navigating these adjustments.
“Since my freshman year we have lost a lot of great teachers,” Leslie senior Jalen Fossitt said. “Some have also retired, but all of our subjects are struggling with only 2-3 teachers in each. We cannot keep up with the pay bigger schools are offering. Small little Leslie has never been able to compete. We just have to create a sense of welcome to appeal to new teachers.”
However much like the new traditions Stockbridge is starting, Leslie is also working to create a future that is bigger, better and brighter than before.
“Our school often doesn’t have a homecoming dance or powderpuff game,” Fossitt said. “We implemented both of those this year and I am beyond excited.”
Hearing this, students might be reminded of the powderpuff football game that former English teacher Kristin Gillon and Baird helped coordinate last year. Or maybe you were reminded of the fall dance that was implemented by seniors to make up for the fact that the Homecoming dance was on a Friday night instead of Saturday last year. Or maybe your mind went elsewhere, to think of the new senior parking spot tradition, or the lunchroom activities, or the school wide assemblies, or the paint and color that’s being added to our school, or even the new student voice that’s being heard and acted on. Either way, it seems that both Leslie and Stockbridge have a lot to look forward to in the years to come.
“School these past two years have felt completely back to normal. It is nice to stay on a consistent schedule and be able to create a routine,” said Fossitt.
And while there are a lot of adjustments still being made, Stockbridge is paving the way to a better future.
“I mean, in the future, there’s always something that’s going to be changed, that’s going to make things either better or worse,” Henderson said. “But it’s for the future. And right now, I think things will remain pretty steady with how they are,” senior Antonio Henderson said.