Going up to the gym after lunch has been a part of the students’ routine for most of the school year now. As of  March 21, going to the gym is not allowed anymore due to student behavior and the lack of supervision. Students were messing with equipment, it was very chaotic, and sometimes they would have to cancel it because there were no adults to supervise.

“I have mixed feelings about the students not going up to the gym. There were many positives, but there were many more negatives and discipline issues,” Mr. Jeff Griffith, principal, explained. 

Students also have many mixed feelings about this situation. Some are glad it is over, but some still want to go to the gym.

“I’m not upset but it was nice to hang out with friends,” Ryley Tavern, 7th grader, said. 

“I think we could get kids up to the gym, but in a more structured way,” Mr. Griffith stated.

Some ways that they have gotten kids up to the gym recently is the Volleyball Tournament that Mr. Dante Denome, 8th grade history teacher, and Mr. Mathew Brandt, 7th grade science teacher are running for the 7th and 8th graders, and the Dek Hockey tournament for the 5th and 6th graders. These were some more structured and supervised activities that were organized to get kids up in the gym.

“I don’t like not going up to the gym anymore because it made me focus on my work better,” Kaitlin Evans, 7th grader explained.

Going to the gym after lunch was also a great way for the kids to get their energy out before class started and it gave them something to do when they were done eating their lunch.