For those of you who missed it, there were plenty of questions both answered and unanswered during the senior class google meet last Wednesday.
One of the first topics was finals. Originally, seniors weren’t going to have to take finals or midyears, but many seniors are now frustrated that finals may happen this year. Mr. Paul emphasized that OA decided to reinstate finals because it would let most seniors get out a week early.
Every senior that is taking an AP exam already doesn’t have to take finals. Seniors with an average of a B+ or higher and less than 7 absences for the second semester are also exempt from finals. But absences for doctor’s appointments, funerals, college visits, mental health days, or anything non-school related do not count as excused absences, a fact that most seniors were upset by. A few seniors spoke up during the meeting to argue that the typical rules should be relaxed considering we are in the middle of a pandemic. But Mr. Paul just told them to look at the student handbook, which states that “medical absences are not excluded.”
Prom, or “Senior Celebration,” was also a controversial topic. Instead of having a formal prom, students are allowed on the turf in “pods” of people with a DJ. Mr. Paul said that seniors can decide whether they want the dance to be more formal or have an informal theme instead. No students from other schools will be allowed at OA events either. “Don’t think of it as prom. That’s why I didn’t call it prom. We’re doing it on prom day but it’s a senior celebration of some sort.” He says that unless the restrictions change, having a formal prom would be almost impossible.
Finally, Mr. Paul spoke about the possibility of returning full-time to school by the end of the year. One of the main challenges with going back to school is lunch. Students don’t have enough room to sit 6 feet apart in the cafeteria. If the state mandates that OA has to come back full-time, Mr. Paul brought up the possibility of some students eating in the gym or the auditorium. He said that if we do go back full time, we wouldn’t have drop and long blocks and would instead continue on with the same schedule we’ve been following all year. But despite all the potential challenges, Mr. Paul said that he doesn’t know when or if school will be back full-time this year.
But above all, Mr. Paul emphasized that students should come to e-board if they want to be part of the planning. The next e-board meeting will be at 2:30 on Wednesday and the Google Classroom code is 56hdxyl. Seniors also should fill out a google form to give feedback on senior events. The form is found on the Class of 2021 Voting and Announcement Google Classroom page.