The Silent Bells

Since September administration adopted the no bell policy to create a warmer school environment. As a result students had mixed feelings towards the no bell policy due to the lack of awareness towards the bell schedules.

Since the administration has asked teachers not to give demerits for lateness, teachers have noticed a decline in students being on time to their classes.

The new Assistant Principal came this year to the school and has already adapted to this new no bell policy. Meetings are also held once weekly where the administration discuss the disciplinary code and transitions. Which the principal, A.P Ms.Riley, and Dean Mr. Morfe all discuss the needs in the school for more improvement.

"So there's a committee for the disciplinary system, they have weekly meetings where they talk about the transitions and disciplinary code." said the assistant principal Ms.Cordero.

"Two schools that I worked in didn't have a bell system and they had 1200 students, and another had 900 students." she also added.

“I think being on time should be about the merit and demerit system as it's been in the past I think the students know they don't get demerits for coming to class late therefore there are no repercussions for being late” a teacher who requested to remain anonymous said.

"As the year is continuing students are coming to class later...by getting rid of the demerits/ lateness policy students are starting to be aware and are staying later in the hallways." another anonymous teacher added.

Many students say they lose track of time during the time a lesson is being administered and always go overboard with the lesson. So they just move along to their next class with no rush or worry that they will be penalized for their lateness.

Many teacher are not sure when to actually start the lesson for class so they just wait and waste at least three to five minutes of their time to make sure the students are prepared to be situated in a class and to stay on task.

“ It was a definitive line of being late to class students take at least six minutes to transition and there is no order” Said a person who would like to remain anonymous.

The clock in every classroom is also minutes behind or minutes ahead of the normal time so many students are mainly wondering the halls in between periods because they are being either dismissed earlier or later than usual.

The students who attended Metro the previous few years are more upset with the changes the school has made rather than the new incoming freshman who has been attending Metro for only one year.

"I think the no bell policy is outrageous! There have been many times where the teacher accidentally kept students longer or let them out earlier." said, David Hawkins (16)

Another senior from our school had a different perspective on how the no bell schedule was placed. 

"We are graduating this year and next year in college there isn't going to be any bells, the professor teaching will not care if we leave a three hour class early or late so might as well be responsible now." Rosa (16).

Four students who are in the graduating class now has made a petition that has reached the principal who sat in a meeting with him to discuss the new transition in the bells. Lower classmates claimed that the no bell schedule has already adapted to the class procedures.

"At first I didn't like it but now I have gotten use to having no bell but, I wish it will come back. I just feel like I miss it because, it kept me more alert and now im late to class all the time because of the timing." said, Darinel Mendez (18)

The petition was signed throughout the Sophomores Juniors and Seniors who attended Metro. Within only one period over 150 students has signed for the bells to come back in session.