A new system for students to leave class debuted this month at Waterville Central School.
Students in grades fourth through twelfth no longer use a paper pass to show they have permission to be in the hallway between classes. The new E-Hall passes work online and offer a variety of features.
WCS Assistant Principal Lindsay Owens explained the new system at last week’s WCS Board of Education meeting. She and principals Karen Hinderling and Jennifer Dainotto said the technology allows them to spot potential problems before they become serious.
Owens said the online pass is time-stamped when a student leaves the classroom and returns. It shows how long they were out of class and the number of times they stepped out of class during the day.
It also alerts them to students who might be stepping out of the classroom more than two or three times a day. Dainotto said she spoke to a student who had used the online pass nine times in a day to let the student know it had been noticed.
While students might not all be happy about it, the principals said the hallways are less noisy when classes are in session. Owens said another feature is if a parent is concerned that a student is not doing well in a class, the online pass system will show how often and for how long that student steps out of the class.
Last week’s meeting began with a reception and recognition of new staff members. It also included welcoming back recently retired Sheri Brennan, who was appointed and sworn in as the Board clerk for their meetings.
Brennan replaces Business Manager Amanda Eaves, who resigned from the District effective Oct. 6 after 11 months at WCS. Eaves also served as the Board clerk.
At the end of the meeting, before accepting Eaves’ resignation and approving a contract for consulting services with former Business Manager Tracy Leone, Board members met in executive session for 40 minutes. At the end of the meeting they approved both resolutions without comment.
The three principals gave updates to the Action Plan regarding what steps are being done in their buildings. Both buildings are using a new online curriculum program that allows teachers to share with each other what they are doing. ...
Comments