On January 8, Stevenson High School announced its plan for enforcing school rules in students’ homes. While in a remote learning setting, faculty members feel it is important for students to abide by school rules — more specifically, Information Learning Center (ILC) rules — in their homes to make the learning experience feel as normal as possible. In order to ensure that students are abiding by these regulations, Stevenson faculty members will be making surprise visits to students’ homes. 

The ILC’s rules aim to model a collaborative atmosphere where students are able to socialize with each other while working together. As a result, students cannot stand near a seating area, as they would distract other students, and should work by themselves if they did not come early enough to earn the right to work collaboratively. Additionally, two students are not allowed to sit together in a chair designated for one, for it does not provide enough room for individual learning.

“I’m pleased these rules are finally being enforced,” said Ursula Anderson, a Stevenson faculty member who works in the ILC. “Ever since online school has started, students have been slacking off and needing the sense of structure this plan enforces. Additionally, this plan will reinstate a sense of normalcy back into my life now that I can reprimand students when they’re least expecting it.”

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone has been searching for a sense of normalcy, making it important to note that students are now receiving that comfort through the implementation of these rules; likewise, ILC faculty members will mimic ordinary life through the excitement of being able to strike terror in students. 

ILC aides are specifically excited for the after-school portion of the initiative, where school rules will be enforced after hours to make students truly realize the importance of their behavior. Previously, students were expected to remain in the ILC after 6 p.m. instead of roaming the halls; to implement this into homes, students are forbidden from walking in their hallways after 6 p.m and must remain in a quiet area of their house for the rest of the day. 

“During first semester last year, students who were staying at school past 6 p.m. needed to be with a club, sport, or in the ILC, and if a student were to be waiting for a parent to pick them up, they were not allowed to stand by the doors for more than 60 seconds,” Anderson said. “Now, students will sit in a quiet room of their house after 6 p.m. If they step into the hallway, they have 60 seconds before an SHS faculty member arrives on the premises to escort them out of their home, where they will have to wait outside for the rest of the night.” 

This plan is found to be popular amongst parents as well as faculty members, given that  it will enforce discipline into students who have begun to slack. Parents, who are tired of constantly having to discipline their children, feel like this plan lightens the burden of parenting. 

“My kid is the worst,” SHS parent Peyton Todd said. “He’s constantly leaving cups in his room, and my voice has gotten hoarse from yelling at him about it. I’m hoping that if a stranger comes into our home to yell at him, he’ll get his act together.”

In addition to enforcing school rules at home, this plan will also help to guide students in other facets of life. Students — who are quite fond of punishment —are also excited for this plan due to the fact that many of them miss interacting with people outside of their home, especially considering most of them have never broken quarantine, not even once, since March 13. 

“Ever since quarantine has begun, I’ve gotten used to my parents invading my privacy, so I won’t mind if more people invade my privacy,” Charlie Todd ’22 said. “It actually might be nice to see people outside of my immediate family.”

Stevenson’s plan for enforcing school rules at home is undeniably popular amongst staff, parents and students. In order to ensure proper COVID-19 safety guidelines, precautions for faculty members entering homes will include wearing a mask at all times and six feet of distance between faculty and students. Overall, with the safety of faculty guaranteed, students are optimistic that this program will have long-term benefits. 

“I think this new initiative will be really beneficial to my peers,” Charlie Todd said. “Maybe when we go back to school, this program can continue to make sure students are completing their homework.”