It is no secret that students arriving tardy to school has been a serious issue at Scituate High School–especially among seniors. Whether it was because they were stopping for a coffee before school or simply oversleeping, students were typically lining outside the door right after 8:15 a.m. waiting for their late passes from Mrs. Ward. Of course, there is no excuse for showing up late to school and missing out on class time.
This year, Principal Marc Loranger has made it clear that arriving to school on time will be a focus. With an expressed goal of cracking down on tardies, Loranger said he wants to “teach students and young adults that it is important to be on time every day.”
Loranger’s message seems to be having an impact: Since the beginning of the school year, SHS students have been arriving at school on time more consistently than they may have in the past. According to Loranger, the start of the year went “very well” regarding the tardiness of students, and he plans for it to continue improving by “motivating” students to get to school on time every day. When asked about the tardy line at Mrs. Ward’s front desk, which was a major problem for the past few years, Loranger said there “have been no lines yet,” and that is a good sign.
The SHS administration plans to stay on top of the tardy issue, as they meet twice per week to monitor the data of the tardies and keep track of students who are creeping up on their tardy numbers. Their strategy is to meet with students after they have three unexcused tardies and contact home to let parents and guardians know. Once a student reaches five tardies, they receive an office detention. Loranger said he hopes to “nip it in the bud” as early as possible by meeting with students who have three tardies–hopefully preventing any more from happening.
A popular question from students regarding tardiness will become increasingly more relevant during the winter season: “What about days with bad weather?” Loranger said he does not want students driving fast just to beat a tardy: “I would rather see students drive carefully and get there a little bit later.” On those lousy days, Loranger said that the administration would make “educated decisions” for delayed starts. “We want kids to be safe. That’s our main priority,” he reiterated.
When asked about the possibility of some sort of “honor roll” for these students who regularly show up on time, Loranger replied, “It has definitely been talked about,” adding nothing is “positive” yet. If it were to happen, the attendance honor roll would likely be announced in May and consist of students with three or fewer unexcused absences and unexcused tardies.