Why did we have a rules assembly? Why was one held, did it have an impact, and what difference did it make, if any? What exactly is a rules assembly? To the majority who were awake and not zoned out, this is a refresher; however, to the ones who weren’t, here’s what you should know.
For those that zoned out, or missed the assembly, here are some changes you should be aware of. For students who have been tardy before or those familiar with the process, you all know the place to serve your detention was the shark tank. However, this year, it has been moved to F201, where any students tardy to school have to report 8 minutes after the bell rings for their respective lunches. Another major change is the new area of the attendance office. Previously, it was inside the main office, but now it is on the left side of the office doors. During school, students are welcome to go through the office to access the attendance office; however, it is preferable to go during lunch, before, or after school.
Last year, a lot of students took Minga, the digital platform used for safety and management, lightly, so some changes have been made. These are not necessarily changes but heavier implementations with more monitoring. Being outside of class without a Minga pass, Saturday School. Going inside buildings during lunch or anywhere that is not the quad, Saturday School. Use Minga, use the passes, and follow the rules.
Minga Image (Left)
Dr. Heron, the Sophomore Assistant Principal
Why did we have a rules assembly this year and not last year?
“The rules assembly was something new we wanted to bring to our students. We’ve been trying different ways to inform our students of the different rules we have at Santiago. So this year, we tried something new; we wanted to bring all the kids into a space in small groups to inform them of consistent rules that have been there since they have been in kindergarten and any rule changes that happened over the summer.”
Why did the attendance office get moved?
“The attendance office was moved from the old spot inside of the main office, so now parents have access to the attendance office without having to come into the main office. Because of the (previous) attendee office location, there was a lot of traffic inside of our main office. There were long lines when parents were coming to check their kids out, so the main office was very crowded. So to combat that, we moved it to the windows outside, so parents don’t have to step onto campus in order to sign their students out.”
Did you see any differences from the rules assembly?
“Yes, we did. There have been changes. Kids are more informed. I’m over the Sophomore group, so the sophomore group had different opportunities to be able to ask me clarifying questions. So I have seen a change, but also students are a little bit more mature, so they make better decisions. The heavy things, meaning the things when we looked at our data that showed were major issues on our campus last year, that was a major focus in the assembly and we haven’t had those issues as of today.”
Do you feel the students of each class year are more connected to their AP’s?
“I think so, I think it was just a good opportunity to start off the year with meeting your AP, or being reintroduced to your AP. So they could hear it coming from the specific person that deals with all the positives and negative things that happens on campus with their grade level.”
Student’s Perspective
What did you think of the rules assembly?
“It was good,” Claire Cho (10).
“It was so good, the way he spoke it really touched my heart, it was very good overall, 10/10 presentation,” Jacob (10).
“I think having it was very efficient,” Rylin (10)
“It was very significant,” Leah (10).
“I learned a lot,” Areeba (9).
“I thought it was okay,” Jordan (9).
Did you think the rules assembly was necessary?
“It was very informative and a lot of people could learn from that because a lot of people suck here,” Claire Cho (10).
“Yes it was important,” Jacob (10).
“Yes, because I was reminded of rules I didn’t know applied to any of the students at Santiago. I also didn’t know we couldn’t wear tube tops so now I’m not wearing them,” Rylin (10).
“Yeah, because even with the dress code I feel like people are following it more and everyone is on their best behavior,” Leah (10).
“Yes I did,” Areeba (10).
“Yeah kind of,” Jordan (9).
Do you feel more connected to your AP after the assembly?
“Yes, he’s very funny,” Claire Cho (10).
“Yes, I do,” Jacob (10).
“I definitely did because I feel like Dr. Heron is a very considerate person and that I could go and talk to him about anything because he wouldn’t judge me,” Rylin (10).
“I always feel connected to Dr. Heron, I feel like he really hears people out, like even if they make mistakes he actually listens instead of just punishing people,” Leah (10).
“Yes, I did,” Areeba (10).
“Um, not really,” Jordan (9).
The rules assembly might not have been everyone’s cup of tea; however, it was important. Santiago strives for excellence and one way to accomplish that is to keep everyone informed about the things Santiago stands for. Following the implemented rules, knowing about them, and adhering to them are the images we portray to the world outside. To finish this article, here is a special message from Dr. Heron: “Always remember, you can be anything. Why not be a shark?”
