New Locker Policy at Lunch
Maywood community, we are implementing a new locker policy at lunch. This information was shared with your students, though we also wanted to make sure that you understood what is happening and why.
What can students bring to lunch and what needs to be in their locker?
Students can bring their lunch, water bottle, and a book (if they want to read at half time) to lunch. All other items (including laptops) should be stored in their locker. Students who have instruments should use their assigned music lockers for storage. We want students to be able to enjoy their lunch interacting with each other and not have to worry about managing so many items in the cafeteria.
How are we supporting students with this change?
We have been providing extra transition time since we returned from Winter Break to encourage students to practice using their lockers. All students recently received another copy of their locker number and its combination. They have been encouraged to practice during Charger Time. Students who have mechanical issues with opening their locker, need to change from a top to bottom locker, or would like to move their locker location should check in at the attendance desk. We have additional staff in the hallways for supervision and assistance with lockers, and staff understand that students will need some flexibility as we make this adjustment. We will continue to provide extra transition time over the next week, gradually decreasing that time as students become more confident. We are here to help!
Why are we making this change?
Prior to the pandemic, all students at Maywood used lockers throughout the school day. When students returned to the building, we did not require lockers due to social distancing guidelines. As time has gone on, we have found that students are carrying a lot of items with them during the school day (including laptops, school supplies, water bottles, instruments, sports practice items, etc.). This makes it challenging for students and staff to navigate classrooms and the cafeteria. This year we encouraged students to use lockers when the school year started, because we recognized it would take time for students to become comfortable with lockers. We were also adjusting to our new bell schedule. When the school year started, we had students store their items on the stage during lunch to make it safer and easier for students to walk in the lunch room, to help us clean up the lunchroom more efficiently, and to keep student items safe. Currently we are in the midst of preparing for our musical, Anastasia, and we found that with our stage being filled with amazing sets, it was a natural time to start making the shift towards student locker use at lunch. Our students are doing a wonderful job of following expectations and learning to use their lockers, so we are going to make this our official policy moving forward.
What if my student is worried about this change?
We have found that students often need more practice to build their confidence with lockers and are here to support that. Encourage your student to practice during Charger Time, before school, or during a passing period. They should also be encouraged to speak with a staff member if they need someone to assist them (any staff member will be happy to help). If your student has a lot of items they are bringing to school and says that they will not fit in a locker, check in with them about what they are bringing (it's a great time of year to do a backpack check together).
Do students have to use their lockers for the full school day?
Currently we are only requiring students to use their lockers during lunch. However, we are working to develop a full-day locker policy with student and staff input, and we anticipate having more information to share after Second Winter Break in February. We are hoping to have a full-day locker policy beginning at the start of trimester 3 (late March).
If you have additional questions, concerns, or feedback, please feel free to reach out to Principal Erin Armstrong (armstronge2@issaquah.wednet.edu). We appreciate your support and flexibility as we make this adjustment!
- General Announcement
- Principal Message