Recent news of student I.D.s has surfaced…leaving students curious. When asked why they are being implemented, Upper School Principal Dr. Chad Nichols said “First and foremost, it is a safety issue. With approximately 500 Upper School students on campus, we need a tool that will easily identify our students at school events. With the inclusion of a barcode ID number, we will also be able to take attendance in non-traditional venues such as chapel, school dances, advisory, etc. which gives us a better picture of who is where and when they arrived. They will also allow us to do away with the door entry code and replace it with scannable access to the building which will log who enters buildings. With that, we should be expecting these I.D.s in about two to three weeks”.
As far as what students think about them, Junior Xander Morison said, “I don’t see any benefit to the ID system as a way to punish people, instead it should be used to reward students that attend the events that the IDs track, kinda like a gold card, where attendance allows you to use student discounts.”
Sophomore Connor Moffitt said “As long as they give us enough time, I think we’ll get used to it. If they have a grace period (maybe like two weeks – a month) where there is no punishment for not having your ID, then we will be able to incorporate it into the school and it will end up being beneficial.”
Teachers seem to have a more positive view on them. Upper School Spanish Teacher Mr. Miguel Sifuentes said “I think it will be a good thing for teachers and students, but students aren’t going to like being tracked and having to carry an ID on them. They obviously don’t want another rule to follow. I think that if it can add security then it would be worth it. It would also make it easier for students and teachers to get in, but more difficult for anyone else. It would also help to know when people are here, tangible evidence that they are here, rather than just relying on memory. It’s not what students think. It’s there for the student’s, teacher’s, and faculty’s safety.”
And lastly, Upper School History Teacher, Mrs. Valerie Phillips said, “I think it will be a good thing for teachers and students, but students aren’t going to like being tracked and having to carry an ID on them. They obviously don’t want another rule to follow. I think that if it can add security then it would be worth it. It would also make it easier for students and teachers to get in, but more difficult for anyone else. It would also help to know when people are here, tangible evidence that they are here, rather than just relying on memory. It’s not what students think. It’s there for the student’s, teacher’s, and faculty’s safety.”