Along with the new schedule, a new hall pass system has been incorporated into classrooms across Granada high school. This system is a new topic of discussion amongst students and teachers. This system is operated by 5-star, which is a familiar app to GHS students. To use the restroom, a student must type their ID number or name into the search bar in the 5-star app, and then click ‘add pass.’ Then, the student is allotted 7 minutes to use the restroom or get a drink of water.
One student commented on the difficulty of using the system, saying it would be hard to make sure that teachers were committed to enforcing its usage every time.
“I think the new 5-Star hall pass is a smart idea to keep students safe, although I don’t think it’s very easy to enforce,” said Kai Sexton (12)
One major concern that caused a rework of the bathroom pass system at GHS was that students were taking too long to use the bathroom. One student would be out of the classroom for 20 minutes, while there was a line of people waiting to use the bathroom after them. This was a major cause of not only annoyance, but also a safety concern.
“Teachers are able to track where we are. There’s less skipping class,” explained Sexton.
While there are several positives to this system from the student perspective, there is also the ever-talked-about issue of how the restrooms are frequently locked.
“Sometimes the time limit is not enough if the bathrooms are locked. Also only one person can go out at a time,” said Sexton.
Sexton explained that if the restroom is locked, the student has to walk for a long time to find another restroom. This can be a potential issue if other students are waiting to use the restroom, since the student who’s out may take longer than the allotted 7 minutes.
Along with the opinions of students, teachers are also working to adapt to this new system. Mrs. Lillie, a French teacher at GHS, described her satisfaction with the 5-star hall passes.
“Before [the new system], I always tried to have just one student out at a time, but it was easy to make mistakes. But now it’s like they have a set amount of time, they go, they come back, and I don’t have anyone staying out for forever like I used to,” explained Lillie.
Although it takes less effort to keep track of which students were out of the classroom, Lillie also described her frustration with the system.
“Setting it up at the beginning of the week is annoying,” Lillie expressed.
Teachers arguably have enough on their plates as is, whether it’s teaching classes, writing lesson plans, or grading papers. Having another thing to take care of may be frustrating for some teachers.
The new 5-star hall pass system, although new, can be adapted for use in the classrooms of GHS students and teachers. However, 5-star does keep bathroom visits more controlled, and further ensures the safety of students at Granada high school.
