When finals season approaches, people often rush to get things done and cram in as much studying as they can. Adding to the franticness of finals this year is the obstacle of virtual learning. As one can imagine, this is a stressful time for both students and teachers. In an attempt to ease some of the stress, Principal Polk has sent out an email containing the information as to how finals are to be handled for most classes this year.
There are three main parts to this email. Firstly, finals cannot negatively impact students’ grades. If a student takes the final and it drops their grade, then they will end the semester with whatever their grade was prior to the final. He has also asked that starting on December 2nd, 2020, no new material should be assigned to students and all extracurricular activities will end for the semester. This is to give students a chance to catch up with schoolwork and focus on their mental health. One should note that these policies do not apply to honors or AP classes.
There were many factors that contributed to this change, but an email campaign backed by Logan students likely played an important role in pushing these recommendations forward. The campaign encouraged students to email teachers about how classes and virtual learning have been affecting them, as well as about changes they would like to see. Furthermore, students CC’d administrators in these emails as well.
James Logan senior, Emma Lowe, says of the campaign, “The campaign aims to center student voices and their concerns over virtual learning and mental health. We hope that by individuals sharing their stories, there will be more of an impact than Polk just sending a mass email to all teachers. While his email earlier in the semester was greatly appreciated, some teachers did not adjust to really focus on student wellness. The emails are meant to make wellness an issue that teachers, admin, and the community can’t ignore.”
This is an especially important policy, considering the toll that the global pandemic has put on the well-being of students. Mental health is becoming an increasingly visible issue for students. Many hope that these changes are a predictor for future actions made by both the school and the district.
