As students and staff settle into the second week of the new school year, new school policies are in full force. Upon reflection of past years, RB administration has implemented new protocols and equipment aiming to create a safer, organized, and ultra-productive school environment.

The most noticeable new policy for students is the “Traffic Light” electronic procedure. This policy is set up where the expectation for electronic usage in the classroom is represented by color- red, yellow, and green, to symbolize a traffic light. Assistant Principal of Student Affairs Dave Mannon discussed what prompted the creation of this new policy.

“The big concern we got from staff towards the middle of [last] year was the increase of students that had a hard time disconnecting from their devices,” Mannon said. 

In an effort to resolve this growing issue, a committee of administration and staff met over the summer to discuss potential ways to increase student engagement in the classroom.

“We talked through some different ideas, and landed on this color coded system that we finalized, and then implemented,” Mannon said. 

The different colors represent a different extent to which devices can be used in a classroom setting. Red means no usage is tolerated, and devices must be powered down and put away during class. Yellow signifies that how or when you use your devices are under the discrepancy of the teacher. Green means having electronics out is acceptable. This is designed to offer teachers autonomy, and to give structure to electronic allowance. 

Most students in high school use some kind of electronic device consistently on a daily basis, making this shift an adjustment. Senior Lana Papadatos questioned the effectiveness of the plan. 

“I feel like it can definitely be better,” Papadatos said. “With the colors, it makes sense and it’s easy to do, but it just reminds me of elementary school.”

Sophomore Emilia Toro points out the strengths and flaws that the color coded system has. Toro expressed her feelings about the system’s maturity level.

“I would say it’s a positive because it does help for learning,” Toro said. “But maybe a new strategy because I feel like the red light-green light thing is a little childish for high schoolers.”

Additionally, students who wish to participate in “Lunch on the Lawn” during their lunch period are now required to scan in and out using their school issued ID. Along with these new procedures, RB has purchased new safety equipment with the help of a grant awarded by Riverside Township. 

“That grant was utilized to enhance our security system here with the cameras. With that we are able to create a rotation within our security team to monitor the flow of students throughout the building and just increase the security presence that we have on campus,” Mannon said. 

Also by means of the grant, RB added a vape detector system to the bathrooms to monitor and manage students that are vaping. 

“It sends a signal out to us, notifies us that there is a change in the environment, air quality, things like that,” Mannon said. 

RB plans on taking advantage of all opportunities to increase safety at RB in order to foster a positive learning environment. 

“We will continue to look at whatever we can do whether that’s applications, devices, procedures, to make sure we are up to date,” Mannon said. “I think students are off to a great start in the classroom. The engagement level is there.”