Advisor’s Note:“Then and Now” is a new idea for story submissions in Cardinal Nation. In the past we have shared stories from previous Mentor High School newspapers including The Mentor Log and Inkwell. Now, beyond just sharing those “blasts from the past,” we ask questions about what has changed, what has stayed the same, and what does the future hold.
Then
Administration Modifies Policies on Arrivals
October 5, 1965
By Sue Gump
New changes are being made in the Mentor High School policy as well as in the building itself. Students are now permitted to go to their lockers before school instead of going directly to the dining room and social center.
According to John Clark, assistant principal, the doors of the high school will be opened before 7:45 a.m. when bad weather begins. “This rule excludes student drivers, however. They can time their arrival at school to be after 7:45,” stated Mr. Clark.
Mr. Clark and transportation Manager Paul Orvos are now checking the bus schedules to see if buses will be able to reach the school closer to 7:45 in the future. Some of the buses now arrive as early as 7:20.
Progress is being made inside the school building also. Mirrors have now been installed in some of the restrooms. Since the order for mirrors was not completely filled, more will be coming in the near future. Mr. Clark also said that book racks for the restrooms have been ordered along with several more bulletin boards for the school.
The cafeteria situation is still uncertain. “No dates have been given yet for the completion of the kitchen facilities,” Mr. Clark stated. He is impressed, however, with the breakfast set-up. “The people that I’ve seen seem to be very pleased with it,” he remarked.
Mr. Clark and Principal James Capitan are working now to better the communications in the school, such as the morning announcement sheets. “We are not trying to keep the students in the dark as to what is going on. We’ve all been very busy. I know that communications will improve in the future,” Mr. Clark stated.
He summarized, “The students have been wonderful so far. Their cooperation is the reason that our school is functioning now.”
Now
Early Dismissal and Other Changes
Can you imagine not having to come to school until 7:45? To current MHS students, that is a luxury we haven’t enjoyed since the 8:40 a.m. start days of middle school (although I doubt anyone misses that point in their lives). MHS students used to enjoy “late start Wednesdays” each week where school did not start until 8:00 a.m. and classes were shorter, but this has recently been modified to “early dismissal Wednesdays.” Now students start school at the same time but are released at 1:42 p.m. instead of 2:26 p.m. To learn more about this change, Cardinal Nation reached out to unit principal Ryan McKnight via email.
Cardinal Nation: What inspired the change from late start to early dismissal?
Cardinal Nation: How long has the idea of early dismissal been discussed?
Mr. McKnight: The idea for early dismissal has been in discussion the past few years. We decided to pilot early dismissal in March to allow for feedback from both staff and students for the remainder of the semester.
Cardinal Nation: How has the change been going so far? What are the implications of the change?
Mr. McKnight: I believe the change has been positive as feedback from many of the students participating in our April principal advisory were appreciative of the extra time at the end of the school day.
Cardinal Nation: Will early dismissal return in the fall?
Mr. McKnight: As of now we have not had discussions on whether early dismissal will stay in the fall. This decision will be made after the school year is over.
To combat the overcrowded student center on early dismissal days, students who wish to enjoy a quiet study hall can go to Digital Lab C instead of the student center until their ride or their bus arrives. Overall, early dismissal seems to be successful.
Going back to 1965, MHS students were also able to go to their lockers before heading to the “dining room and social center,” which, interestingly enough, is something we currently cannot do. However, this is counteracted by the amount of time students are allotted to get to class first thing in the morning.
Another interesting new development at MHS in 1965 was the implementation of school breakfasts. Mr. Clark is quoted on his satisfaction with the new set-up. Now, school breakfasts are provided across the district. Many students utilize the opportunity to eat before their classes. The student center in the morning would not be the same without breakfast. One student who wished to remain anonymous told Cardinal Nation how helpful the morning breakfasts are.
“I eat breakfast at school every morning. The donut holes are delicious, and it makes my day better. It’s no good trying to learn on an empty stomach.”
In terms of other improvements made in 1965, it is noted that Mr. Clark mentions the installation of book racks for the bathrooms and bulletin boards for classrooms. The exact meaning of the book racks is unclear, but if they are the metal shelves that are currently in the school bathrooms then the efforts have proven to be successful. The usage of bulletin boards did not fare as well. The district has transitioned between SmartBoards, whiteboards, and projectors since the use of bulletin boards and chalkboards dwindled.
The changes being made at MHS are not uncommon. Across the country, school districts are making changes to their start times in particular. However, the changes being made seem to be in the opposite direction. While MHS has taken the early dismissal approach, many schools are shifting towards a more permanent late start. This is because of a nationwide issue of student sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 should receive 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Despite this, the AASM found that around 69% of high school students reported sleeping 7 hours or less on school nights.
Students who do not get enough sleep are proven to have a lower academic performance. This is why many schools are attempting the late start method. On the other hand, as Mr. McKnight previously explained to Cardinal Nation, MHS is opting for an earlier release time to stop the overcrowding and late arrivals that were occurring on late start Wednesdays.
While some people argue that later start times provide students with more sleep, others make the case that students will just go to bed earlier because they know they do not have to be up as early.
To gather student feedback on the MHS schedule change, I shared a survey with a sample of classmates and collected the results anonymously.
It seems there is a common issue with after-school activities and sports on early dismissal Wednesdays. One of the anonymous survey takers describes their experience as follows:
“The biggest issue with the switch to early dismissal is with extracurriculars. Clubs like Model UN, which used to meet after school on Wednesdays, are now forced to meet on Tuesdays out of the best interests of students. However, things like this have repercussions in other areas such as the inability to participate in every activity on a normal Tuesday, now that things such as MUN take up that time… Also, the parking lot following early dismissal is horrendous and requires immediate strategic planning to counter the overflow of cars and transportation.”
These conflicts will likely be discussed and planned for in the upcoming years, as this year’s early dismissal is the first time MHS has implemented such a schedule other than on exam days.
