Editor’s note: This Letter to the Editor was contributed by students out of COMM:110
Letter to the editors,
The issue of students being disengaged has been brought up before, but it has yet to be
approached with a lasting solution. Disengagement is rooted in many factors here at school,
and consequences of this have much to do with grades and general learning itself. There is a
lasting sense of isolation in kids, and the distinction between separate experiences becomes
blurred with the sheer amount of time students are expected to remain inside the school. An
open campus is a lasting solution to this issue.
As an alternative to “recess” like in elementary school, we are proposing to open the
gates solely for the lunch hour and advisory. Although the time allowed to leave the building
would be short, the benefits would exceed. Attentiveness in students is rapidly declining,
especially when every day feels the same. A 2016 study done by The Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, has shown, “a 20- to 30-minute break improves average test
performance by 1.7% of an SD”. This evidence supports the reasoning to give students a break
for themselves, whether that’s socializing or taking a quiet moment.
Breaking up the school day could lead to less absences as students may feel less
stressed, as well as an overall better education for every student. While acknowledging that
leaving the building wouldn’t be monitored by staff, students would need to be held accountable.
Therefore, students would be expected to sign in and out of the main office when needed.
Leaving the building would be a privilege and would only be attained through monthly grade
checks and senior project proposal completion, similar to senior release. All students should
have the opportunity to use the open campus if wanted, but if the time limit is not attainable or
many students disobey the rules, punishments would occur. This places responsibility on
students to properly allocate their time, which will only prepare them for college and real-world
experience.
