By Bianca Carr The Stentor
The Renaissance High School detention program was recently renamed the Reflection Room for Positive Behavior, according to a newsletter sent home with students during the first week of school.
The Reflection Room Experience is meant to give students time to reflect on what they did, why they did it and how they can fix it. Although this might be the purpose, some students disagree with it.
“Reflection room is a waste of time,” senior Nautica Daniels said. “Sitting in that chair won’t make me early for school if I have a hectic morning. Then I can get suspended for missing it? I was already missing class because I was late and had to have my ID scanned and now I’m about to miss all my classes. That’s crazy and contradicting,”
The policy is designed to keep students in class on time, yet does the opposite, some students said.
“Reflection room really has no purpose,” said senior Deijah Anderson. “Getting to school late isn’t always the students’ fault. They have bigger things to worry about.”
Acceptable excuses are limited. Without a doctor’s note the student is considered at fault; in turn the student is then punished. Unforeseen circumstances such as a flat tire or traffic jam are not excused.
“Reflection does nothing! It has not stopped anyone from being late and the fact that the punishment for not being in school on time is to be absent from school for a whole day is idiotic,” said senior Javier Wilson.
Students were once permitted to do their homework while in detention. That isn’t the case anymore.
“The Reflection Room gives students an incentive to not come at all if they know they’ll be late,” senior Rickel Gee said. “I know I’d rather get three extra days to do missed work and chill at home than to come late, have to stay after school, write a paper, miss practice or get suspended if I don’t.”
Reflection Room Policy
- Students assigned to the reflection room must report to the cafeteria by 3:30 p.m. and are expected to remain until 4 p.m.
- No one will be excused to participate in an athletic event or extracurricular activity.
- It is a parent’s responsibility to make arrangements for the student to get home from detention.
- Failure to report to the Reflection Room will result in a one day suspension.
- Students can be assigned to the Reflection Room for being tardy to school or to class throughout the day.
