In Logan Hanekamp’s column, “LFHS: Then and Now,” she discusses changes in LFHS over the past couple years and compares the new changes to the old.
In the past couple of years, there have been some major policy changes within Lake Forest High School. The majority of these changes have been extremely controversial. There were people in favor both for and against the new changes. Many students and families have become accustomed to the changes so much of the backlash has subsided by now,. Here are some of the major policy changes within the past few years:
Senior Off-Campus Privileges
Then
Until two years ago, as class schedules arrived every August, the class “study hall” never appeared on senior’s schedules. Seniors simple had free periods. They were allowed to come and go as they pleased and were not required to stay on campus. Being able to leave during a lunch wasn’t even a question. Athletic study halls were also considered free periods and seniors had the freedom to leave. Seniors were constantly using their very much deserved off-campus passes to spend their free time as they wished. The free period privilege was a right of passage during your senior year of high school. The ability to go off-campus was one of, if not the, most coveted aspects of being a senior.
Now
As the 2017-2018 school year began, what were forever free periods turned into standard study halls. The new off-campus rules are as follows: seniors must sign in to study hall in the upper commons, they may only leave for one study hall period per day for only three days of the week, and leaving during athletic study hall is forbidden. Now that is the simplified version. While seniors still can go off-campus for lunch, the new schedule makes that difficult with 25 minute lunch periods. The bottom line is, senior off-campus privileges are extremely strict now.
Absence Rule
Then
Two years ago LFHS made a great deal of policy changes. Before 2016, there was no limit to the number of days a student could miss. Students could have as many excused absences as possible (within reason) and not be penalized. As long as the student was performing well in their classes, there was no issue with absences.
Now
Since the 2017-2018 school year, LFHS has enforced a strict absence policy. Every semester, a student may receive a maximum of nine parental excused or unexcused absences in each of their classes. After the 10th absence is received, the student will have to meet with a board of deans, teachers, and other faculty to discuss the consequences. Depending on the student’s situation, the consequence is more often than not withdrawal from the class. This strict policy has received a lot of attention from the students and families within the school district. Many students miss class for sports tournaments, family activities, and sicknesses that don’t entail visiting a doctor. These parental excused or unexcused absences count towards the nine given for a semester.
Pink Slips
Then If you are reading this and you are younger than a member of the class of 2020, you probably have little to no idea what a pink slip is. Back in the day, pink slips were how the deans alerted students of their unexcused absences or tardies. One member of the LFHS faculty would walk from classroom to classroom knocking on the door and handing each teacher his or her stack of pink slips for the day. When the pink slips arrived in each classroom, students would eagerly attempt to figure out who would be the recipient(s). It was always a big deal to receive one, not necessarily in a good way.
Now
Oh technology, you are the reason for so many changes in our world today, and more specifically, LFHS. Along with changes in off-campus rules and absence policies, the 2017-2018 school year lost the ever-so-famous pink slips. Students no longer experienced the excitement of someone interrupting one of their classes almost every day to hand out pink slips. With plentiful new technology swarming the school, pink slips felt the wrath of the technological wave. Two years ago, pink slips were replaced with absence and tardy email updates.
Athletic Study Hall
Then
LFHS athletes participating in any school sport used to receive an athletic study hall no matter what grade they were in. Athletic study halls were awarded to all athletes who were a part of any sports team. This was slightly altered a few years ago where junior and senior athletes received an athletic study hall as well as any underclassmen on a varsity level sport.
Now
The class of 2018 was the first grade not to have athletic study hall as underclassmen. The policy changed four years ago. Athletic study halls were only awarded to upperclassmen. Period. The problem with the new policy was that there were numerous juniors and seniors who joined a sport simply on the basis that they would receive an athletic study hall due to their participation. This was yet another policy change to receive a lot of attention from the student body.
