Last month East students were surveyed on what improvements to the school they would like to see. Fifty-four people responded to the survey posted on all grade-level Google Classrooms.
The first question on the survey read: How do you feel about the overall environment at our school? The majority of respondents (26) had a neutral opinion of East. Twenty respondents had a positive opinion, while only eight had a negative opinion.
The next survey question was: Are there any areas where you think the school could improve? If so, where? Several people noted that the students who vape and stand around in the bathroom make it difficult for others to use the facilities.
Another suggestion for improvement was to change East’s class schedule from eight periods to seven in order to make the school day less rushed.
Cleanliness was another issue. “I think our school could improve by being more clean and updating some things around the school,” senior Riley Duncan wrote. “[I]f you asked others about the school, you would probably hear about how dirty it is/seems. I’m sure the janitors try their best, but the school is pretty messy, in my opinion. Even teachers say the same.”
The next survey question read: Are there any specific programs or resources you wish the school had? “A better lunch program,” junior Nathan Pack responded. Another student agreed, noting that most students choose to use the vending machines or even wait until they get home to eat. “It isn’t the lunch ladies’ fault,” this student said, “but if the food was better, and with more choices, more people would eat school lunch.”
According to six students, including juniors Tad Elkins and Bella Kirkham, East should have a lacrosse team, while one student wished for a hockey team.
Juniors Andrew Holt and Kiaisha Bagut both said an auditorium is a needed resource that East lacks.
The fourth question read: How do you feel about the school’s efforts to address student mental health and well-being? Most people responded that the school’s efforts to address mental health were pretty decent, but some respondents indicated that East could do more. “I don’t think that mental health is talked enough about as a whole at GEHS,” senior Mollie Pack said.
“I feel like the stress the school puts on semester exams and attendance takes away from addressing the students’ mental health,” junior Avery Denning said.
Another student expressed the belief that “Teenagers need mental health days to relax and take a break from everything. Most of us get overwhelmed with school, sports, and work, so it’s hard to [take a mental health day] when we don’t want to miss any days because of the exams.”
The final question was: What changes would you like to see to make the school a better place for everyone? The first answer is similar to answers to the previous question. “I would like to see a push for student mental health, not simply test scores,” senior Sophie Wiley said. Others concurred, with students generally expressing how difficult it is to be judged for not staying on top of their work when they are struggling with mental health.
Some students said they feel like they are in prison at school because they can barely do anything. On a related note, English teacher Mindy Smith said, “I’d like to see a bit more freedom and down time for student socialization.” Senior Nixon Brown expressed a similar view: “I think that if there was a way for people to get fresh air at some point in their day it would make school much more enjoyable, and make students much more productive.”
“I think starting later would be really good for everyone,” junior Lucy Skelding said.
Thank you to everyone who responded thoughtfully to the survey. Hopefully, school administrators will take note of what changes students would like to see implemented in order to increase both their comfort and their desire to attend school more faithfully.
