As Convent & Stuart Hall High School returns to school, they adjust to new rules and schedules, implementing time for more community engagement.
At the end of last year’s school year, Rachel Simpson, Chief Academic Officer & Convent High School Division Head, announced that in the 2024-25 year, faculty would incorporate a new period dedicated to the performing arts. Students will have their first performing arts period — PA —block this week with the choices of Vocal, Instrumental, Dance, or a course enrichment.
“I chose to participate in Vocal during the PA block because a lot of my friends are doing it and it seems fun,” sophomore Sophie Fluhr said. “However, a big part of my reasoning behind joining is because I don’t want to do the extra course enrichment,”
In addition to the new schedule, new rules regarding phone usage during the day have been enacted. Students are now not allowed to use their phones after the school day begins until lunch, and from after lunch until the day ends. This change was made so that students could engage with each other more without the distractions that phones bring.
“This year, we have made it super clear that we don’t want to see phones at all during the instructional chunk in the morning and the afternoon, including passing periods,” Ms. Simpson said. “Nationally, there are many states that are completely banning phones, but we are trying to push this forward with the belief that when students are encouraged they can be more self-regulating,”
In addition to new technology restrictions and altered schedules, students will also adjust to an updated dress code. In the 2023-24 year, Convent & Stuart Hall students were allowed to wear sweatshirts as long as a collared shirt was underneath, or even crew neck sweaters with no collared shirt underneath. According to the school’s updated 2024-25 handbook, students are only permitted to wear hoodies that either have a college or Convent & Stuart Hall logo or are entirely unbranded.
“I am interested in seeing how the performing arts block turns out,” sophomore Siena Kane said. “It is nice that they are building time into the schedule to focus on performing arts, but I just wish lunches remained the same amount of time as last year’s,”
During an assembly this past week, Ms. Simpson shared how this decision was made so Convent and Stuart Hall students could be identifiable based on their dress alone, as their recognizable collared shirt would often be covered up by a hoodie. This notion of being identifiable is carried through for faculty as well, as teachers are wearing name tags that demonstrate that they are a part of the Sacred Heart community and work at our school. Fluhr saw this as a large shift in rules regarding the new requirements surrounding outerwear.
“I don’t understand how a sweatshirt can shape one’s ability to learn,” said Fluhr. “I think that while students should obey the dress code, they should still be able to express themselves through their hoodies, as it is one of the only ways they can choose what they want to wear.”
