The rules are changing… now what?

Alyson Scholten, Staff Writer|February 4, 2022

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Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Age
We all know that senioritis is an obstacle many seniors struggle with. And it can even be developing in the earlier years of high school. Jenison High School provides a second-semester exam waiver. This is to encourage the seniors to stay strong and push through the rest of their final year. One of the requirements for this exam waiver is having 2 or fewer absences. But, this year there have been some changes.
 
COVID cases are on the rise again. Because of that, Dr. Leiter has chosen to get rid of the 2 absence rule to prevent an outburst of COVID cases. So how is this going to affect senior attendance? A senior student, Carter VanManen, as well as a teacher, Mr. George, gave their thoughts on it.
 

Were the original two absences rule too harsh?

 
Having only two absences for an 18 week semester seems like they are asking a lot from the seniors. When asked if he thinks the original 2 absences rule for seniors was reasonable, Carter VanManen says, “I mean I can see the purpose behind it, but I think it should be a few more absences, like 4 or 5.”
 
Giving the seniors 4 or 5 absences would give them a bit more leeway, especially when it comes to them having appointments or even getting sick. And, a teacher’s point of view isn’t far off. Mr. George goes on to say, “I’m conflicted because I do see the value of showing up every day but on the other hand, I think that grades and turning in assignments can be how we can measure the success of the student.” Mr. George continues with, “I think that the rule should not be more absence related, but rather be more grade related.”
 
Missing school can be a hassle, for both teachers and students. There comes lots of anxiety when thinking about all the work they are going to have to make up. Carter claims, “When I miss a day it’s tough sometimes to catch back up, especially when you take AP classes or take a lot of notes in your class.” Higher grade level students tend to take more AP classes than lower grades. With 2-4 AP classes within their schedule, missing work can pile up quite fast.
 

How will the elimination of the two absence rule play out?

 
“I definitely think a lot more people are going to stay home. I would personally still put a limit on it, not just give unlimited absences,” stated Carter VanManen, senior. From medical absences to taking a day off, seniors are going to have the freedom to stay home. Along with that, there is a form that students of the age of 18 can fill out that allows them to sign out of school without a parent’s permission. With seniors having the freedom of having many absences, how big of a toll will it have on their attendance? Only time will tell.