Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, NVD juniors and seniors have been able to sign out of the school when their teacher is absent.
In previous years, the district hired substitute teachers when teachers were absent. Last year, NVD cut subs meaning when a teacher is absent, students go to the cafeteria to sign in and do their assigned work there, supervised by three teachers who have assigned cafeteria coverage.
This year, however, since only upperclassmen have privileges they are free to come and go at their own leisure after they sign in for attendance with a cafeteria monitor or Diane Jeffs, the attendance officer. Underclassmen are required to stay in either the cafeteria or the library for the duration of their free period.
Another new initiative the school has started is splitting the cafeteria into two sections, one side for those with a free period, and the other side for students whose teachers are absent.
Leaving for subs is good- Lola
Leaving for subs is one of the best new initiatives NVD has begun. Last year, even as a junior I hated having to sit in the cafeteria on uncomfortable chairs and there often isn’t enough comfortable seating for all the students in the library.
As I grow older, it gets harder and harder every day to have patience for underclassmen walking in the halls without a sense of urgency. I also dislike hearing all the jokes the underclassmen make that are often immature and offensive at the expense of someone or something else. The annoying ruckus that people cause during their school boredom is often policed by teachers which is even more annoying because the NVD students constantly talk back to them. Listening to students go back and forth with each other and teachers is something I can finally get rid of in my day.
I also enjoy the time to do other things. I work after school, so I often don’t have the time to run errands or even get a break between my classes and work. I love having the time to buy things I need since once I am done with work, most stores are closed.
Leaving for subs is bad – Maya
Originally, leaving for subs was so exciting, it was basically a free period, and it was nothing like we’ve experienced in the past. My friends and I would leave, go get Starbucks, drive around, and have so much freedom.
However, as a senior and as the year goes on, I’ve started to have less and less work in school and at home. Everything is dying down and I try to do my work in advance so I rarely am packed with assignments.
While this sounds great and extremely relaxing, I believe it has become repetitive and increased my laziness. Especially when I have two or three or even four subs a day! My day feels so unproductive. Personally, I like having busy work and feeling like I’ve been productive during my day. Particularly because I also don’t have work after school and am usually just on my phone or watching TV. So not doing anything during school makes my day seem even longer.
On the other hand, on days when my schedule is packed with work and I have teachers out can also be discombobulating. When I see all my friends going out and having fun I want to go with them! But I have assignments that I need to grind out in the library as well. The smart decision would be to stay in school but I tend to just give into the peer pressure.
I definitely don’t want to take the fact that we can leave when teachers are absent for granted. However, when I have multiple subs during the week, I end up feeling like I’ve been so unproductive. I’ve realized that I honestly didn’t even need to take a free period this year!
My recommendation to all underclassmen and especially rising seniors, do not take a free period. You will at least have one teacher absent a week which will already act as a free period!
