Bells off schedule, students off schedule
February 19, 2020
The bells inform students and staff to get to class so if the bells are off schedule, then likely the students and staff are, too. The bells at NCHS have a history of being off shedule. This means that if teachers go off of a sound that can ring anytime, it can make kids tardy or worse not know at all when to go to class. Often, neither teachers nor students at NC know when classes are supposed to start and end because they are unsure if they should go off class times or when the bells ring.
High school is supposed to run smoothly, it’s kind of hard to when kids walk in the class late because they went off a late bell or kids are hurrying in the halls due to early bells. The bells affect the end of the day especially. For example, if the bells are two minutes late then the final bell would ring at 3:26pm. Some teachers will let students out on time, while others will make students wait for the bell. It can be unfair for the students to be let out two minutes late because by the time they get to the parking lot, it is already a complete traffic jam. The parking lots are already crowded enough, and with the bells being off it creates more traffic after school from parents waiting. Also, busses run on a tight schedule so students being let out late may delay the busses or force kids to rush to catch their bus.
Students get into a routine with pick up and drop off, so when bells are off it makes it harder for the parents and students. Teachers prefer that students don’t look at their phones so many classes just work right up to the bell. Early bells interrupt work, and late bells put everyone off schedule. Students know that they have 5 minutes to get to each class and that’s more than enough time. However, if all the bells aren’t set right, teachers often have to wait for their students to arrive, which can be after the time classes are supposed to start.
The main reason schools have bells is to help students and staff make the smoothest transitions. A lot of teachers will argue that “the bell doesn’t dismiss students, I do.” Well according to newsbytesonline.com that isn’t true, the bell is supposed to be the signal for the teachers to let the kids go. Without bells that are on time, when are teachers supposed to know when to let their students out?