...and no trench coats in the winter time. Also, everyone should where skin tight jeans so they cannot hide weapons in them.
Cross Creek High School is cracking down on book bags and large purses after last week's incident at Academy of Richmond County in which a sawed-off shotgun was found in a book bag near campus.
Students have long been required to leave book bags in their lockers at the south Augusta school, but the restriction will now be strongly enforced and expanded to large purses and drawstring bags, said Lynn Warr, Cross Creek principal and executive director for high schools.
Last week at the Academy of Richmond County, three students were arrested after a sawed-off shotgun was found in a book bag just off campus.
"Every time we get a warning sign it reminds us to be a little more careful," Ms. Warr said.
Some parents have griped about spending $5 to rent a locker, but safety remains the top concern, she said.
"That's really not a lot of money for 180 days of safety," Ms. Warr said. "We have to be as careful as we can be. Just think of what could happen."
The book bag ban increases safety, she said. Students are randomly selected to walk through metal detectors every morning; random locker searches are conducted throughout the day; and police dogs can search lockers but can't search classrooms with students.
"I think the real key in high school is to keep the kids guessing," Ms. Warr said.
Students are allowed to visit their lockers between classes, so there isn't a need for students to carry books around all day.
Richmond Academy has required book bags be stored in lockers since last year when the school installed enough lockers for every student to have one, Principal David Robbins said.
Several Richmond County schools have banned book bags, but there is no systemwide policy, said James Thompson, the executive director for special schools and programs.
Staff Writer Sarah Day Owen contributed to this story.
Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.
TEEN REACTION
A look at what members of The Augusta Chronicle Xtreme Teen Board are saying about Cross Creek's crackdown:
- "I think this is a bit strange, but it may prove to be beneficial ... students can find other ways to bring weapons to school." -- William Fleming, a senior at Jefferson County High School
- "I would actually be relieved to not carry my book bag while at school ... As far as the gun issue, I think if students not being allowed to carry bookbags on campus will make our schools safer then I am definitely for it, however there will need to be some extra time allowed between classes to get things from your locker." -- Lindsay Garrick, a junior at North Augusta High School
- "To me, if they're going to do that, they can at least have the students have clear backpacks. That's what was done at Harlem Middle when someone brought a gun to school ... Storing backpacks in a locker isn't going to ensure that there will be no guns because anyone can wear a long T-shirt over a pair of jeans. Girls can carry guns in their purses." -- Amber Forbes, a senior at Harlem High School
- "I admire that Cross Creek is trying to do something to make school safer, but they're not acting with the needs of students in mind. I can't imagine not being able to carry around my book bag. It's where I keep all my essentials." -- Shamari Sylvan, a senior at John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School
- "I think that the school is overreacting to this case. I know that at Greenbrier High, even if one wanted to put all of their stuff in their locker, then it would be difficult, if it is possible, because the size of the non-senior lockers is so small." -- John Klement, a junior at Greenbrier High School
Comments
...and no trench coats in the winter time. Also, everyone should where skin tight jeans so they cannot hide weapons in them.
nudity should be required, as should frequent deep body cavity searches. nothing is too far in left field when it comes to student safety. hopefully, obama will ban guns & clothing in his first executive order.
require all students to have clear bookbags
I think that's a good idea, but i'm quite sure when I was in school we couldn't carry our book bags all day. We were allowed time between classes to go to our lockers, and it worked out. They can carry books for two classes and come back when necessary for other classes. Simple and safe every little bit counts, quit being so narrow minded, they brought it on themselves by breaking the rules. It's not an off the wall request. Clear book bags create another issue, how can all of Richmond County find them easily. I never see many of them in stores.
Visiting your locker between classes is a joke. My son's number 1 complaint this year is he can only hit his locker 3 times a day without risk of being late to class and being late to class is not an option. I can understand the safety reasoning behind a book bag ban or restriction but come up with an alternative like in class storage for your text books or more time between classes to ensure students have time to visit their lockers. Also, if a ban occurs how does my son get his 5 required text books home every night with his planner and his other notebooks?
I'm in agreement with you BigJon. My son also complains that there is not enough time between classes especially if one classroom is on one end of the school and your next class is on the other end of the school. I understand their safety reasoning but there needs to be another way to handle this. Allowing a few extra minutes between classes seems like the easiest answer. Pantherluvcik THEY did not bring this on themselves, only a few who can't follow the rules has brought this on the whole school system.
I live in Chatham county now & they only allow clear or mesh book bags & girls purses can be no larger than 8 inches by 3 inches. Also, my sons school issued "take home" books so he doesnt have to carry them in his book bag. They have books at school to use & books at home for thier home work. This system seems to work well.
When I was at Richmond we were not allowed to carry bookbags to class. I went to my locker after every class or every other class and had no problem getting to class on time. 10 minutes was more than enough time but I don't know how long they have now. A quick look at the schedule would tell you.
Makes me wonder how much longer will it be until all text books will be on palm pilot or lap top.
I'm not absolutely sure about the time between classes now but I'm thinking it's only 5 minutes. When my son was in middle school he was issued a set of books to leave at home and then there was a set of books left in class for students to use. This was an excellent idea and also prevented the "I forgot my book at school" excuse for homework not getting done.
We had that in middle school also and it worked fine until the textbooks were not returned. And textbooks are costly. But of course who needs textbooks if you have a nice football stadium.
In today's technological times, why aren't more and more learning/lesson materials accessible online via the schools' website ?? Books are too costly apparently and it seems most schools don't have enough to go around to all the students and lugging around heavy backpacks isn't doing the kids' physical health any good.
When I was in high school we had less than five minutes between classes. We had five minutes between BELLS and it was the teacher's perogative to let the students out of class when the bell rang. Most teachers did not. Consequently, several of my classmates and I pooled our lockers and we left our books that were closest to that class in that locker. It made for terrible security, if ones of our friends started breaking rules it would be all of our [filtered word]es and we knew it... those were the days of Columbine and bombs threats every single day; but it was the only way we could do it. At the end of the day I would take home upwards of five books and five seperate notebooks (can't consolidate in on notebooks, teachers would keep them over night for notebook checks, whatever) nearly every single day. Plus whatever else I had that needed to go home. It was stupid then and nearly a decade later, not any less stupid.
What are the rules for bookbags and lockers in Aiken and Columbia counties? I wish that had been included in this story.
I hate to sound like an old guy here, but I think the kids need to suck it up. We were not permitted to carry book bags to our classes in high school. We had to do things like get books for multiple classes while the getting was good. Meaning: if you had to get everything for two classes during one locker visit, then oh well. I took classes all over Glenn Hills, and was never late. The kids who were late were the ones socializing in the halls. It was a different time back then, but the concepts of proper planning and time management are unchanged. Believe it or not, something as small as this issue will teach kids how to be effective planners.
KingJames I usually agree with most of your post but evidently it's either been a while since you were in high school or you don't have students attending now but I can guarantee you most of the students I've heard from along with my child are not socializing in the halls. Proper planning and time management are excellent skills but if not given enough time to plan or manage these skills aren't going to help the students get to class on time.
The thing is is if your kids went straight to their locker and didn't dilly dally with their friends they could make it to lockers and class. 3 times a day should be sufficient enough to switch out books for class. It was when I went to school. You arent supposed to go after every single class you take a few to make sure you are covered until your next locker visit. Complaining of $5 for the whole year??? Whining parents are what have made these kids such incapable spolied babies!!! ohh its to hot for school, oh your tests are to hard, I need my cell in the middle of class, oh we need a vending machine, OMG you mean I have to carry a few books and when making locker visits I should go there and straight to class, oh the horrors, especially coming from those who are failing or close to anyway are sickening, spend more time studing rather than whining about unfair rules for clothes, book bags, cells, outside heat, etc... ,wah ,wah,wah,wah. Geesh!!!
KingJames. That is an extremely ignorant comment. You were given more time back then. Now, it's only 5 minutes to get from class to class. Even if you don't socialize, you still run the risk of being late for class if you go to your locker. In certain cases, I have to run to class, and I only use the restroom! I do not socialize during class changes. I have never been late, but if I had to go to my locker, I probably would be late. And you didn't have as many textbooks to carry around back then. My parents will tell you that.
It was only 5 minutes when I went, so that doesn't work here. And I had 7 books + notebooks, locker no where near my classes except 1. It was tight, but more than enough time if you did what you needed and thats it!! As for the restroom, as long as you go to class and tell the teacher I need to run real quick they wont mind the 30 seconds extra you are late because you informed them and already made it to class. Unless you have a medical condition this shouldnt be a regular thing. But when its used to do makeup and make a cell call and everything else, yeah, you may be late!!! If ya have to take a dump, it may even take longer than 10 minutes, what do ya do then? Would the students object to an extra 5 minutes between classes but an hour extra of school to compensate? Learning time shouldn't be lost to compensate for people who don't take care of business. And even before the bookbag ban students were complaining of not enough time, becuase they had to carry their books. If you want more time in between classes then you must give something in return to make up for the lost education time.. so if you want to extend the school day.. be our guest!! =)
We had 5 min. and no such thing as a book bag...we carried our books and scheduled time to get to our locker,,it ain't rocket science..the kids just can't do or handle things like we used to.. (or my kids used to) their too soft and coddled and a lot of them are just plain old lazy..they have to get their butt's in gear and hustle..........
InChristLove, I guess we will just have to respectfully disagree on this one. Talkatoast, I can respect you for articulating a well thought out response. However, I disagree with you. I graduated Glenn Hills in '91. I did everything I could to avoid crowds of students during class changes. I even took the hallways that used to go past the office and around the library so I wouldn't be late after going to my locker. (There have been at least two renovations since then, and that hallway was consolidated into the media center/library.) I knew that there would always be a lot of students on the second floor, so sometimes I would just walk the length of the first floor until I came to outside stairs just so I would get to my 2nd floor class on time. As a freshman, I learned how to plan a route so that I wouldn't be late for class. And yes, I had a lot of books. I was a college bound student so I always took a full course load and didn't get out early my junior or senior year like some kids. It could be done back then and it can still be done today. Just prioritize and you will be OK.
Forget the safety issue for a moment - that's not the only thing going on here. This is a way for the schools to generate money. The school says that you can't use a bookbag; rather, you're supposed to use your locker. Fine. Then GIVE the lockers to the students - don't force them to "rent" them. The lockers were installed when the schools were built (in most cases) and were part of the capital outlay funding source(s). Why make the kids rent them? Purely to generate revenue. Let's say you have a high school with 2,000 students, of which 1,300 get lockers. That's an extra $6,500. Where does that money go? I don't know about you, but when I was in high school, I was ASSIGNED a locker...and I didn't have to pay for it. $5 for a locker that my taxes have already paid for?!?
I never owned a bookbag and I survived.
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