Archbishop Carroll has a new early dismissal procedure. Now, parents and guardians must call the school if they want their children released from school early. The new procedure replaces one in which parents and guardians filled in and submitted an early dismissal Google Form for their children.
The change was made because students were completing and submitting the Google Forms without their parents’ knowledge, according to Mrs. Erin Gallagher, the main office administrative assistant. Students who wanted to leave school early took advantage of the Google Forms to do so.
“These rules are in place now because the students felt it was easy to abuse the system,” said Mrs. Gallagher.
When COVID-19 broke out, Carroll came up with the Google Form. Parents and guardians completed and submitted the forms when their children arrived late or were absent. Rather than because of the pandemic, the change was made to simplify the process for parents. Google Forms replaced the requirement that parents and guardians call the school in case of lateness, absence, or early dismissal.
Over the last couple of years, as COVID has subsided, students abused the Google Forms policy by logging into Google with their parents’ email address. When Carroll would follow up on the forms by calling to double check that their children were being dismissed early, parents and guardians revealed they had not submitted the forms.
To cut back on fake early dismissals, administrators decided that parents now had to call the school for their children to leave school early. Students also have to check in with the main office before they leave the school premises.
It has been a transition for Carroll students and parents to make phone calls instead of filling out the Google form. At this point, there is still some confusion at times but the early dismissals have declined, said Assistant Principal for Student Life, Mr. Christopher Fryberger.
“The thinking behind this is that if parents have to make that phone call once or twice it’s one thing, but to do it consistently is a hassle,” said Mr. Fryberger.
Some students have come up with concerns about this switch, saying that the idea of staying in school while having panic attacks can increase their likelihood of not being able to function during school hours, especially in the case that their parents cannot call to dismiss them because they are at work.
Administrators say that in the case a student is having a panic attack they have three options: The student can go to Mr. Fryberger’s office, the nurse’s office, or to Carroll’s new mental health and wellness coordinator, Ms. Kelly Love, who is trained to assist with these emergencies and will contact the parents if the student needs to be dismissed from school.
Some students think that this switch has been beneficial.
“I think switching to phone calls is a more reliable way to make sure that it is a student’s parent checking them out instead of themself,” said senior Gabriella Breault.
