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By Lena Pearson 

For the Clemmons Courier

The Titans were lucky this week, scoring an extra two days of winter break due to freezing temperatures and slippery roads that postponed the start of second semester. Students will return to campus on Jan. 8, greeting 2025 as well as the second half of the school year. The new semester is only just beginning, but there are already shifts being made to West’s calendar and policies that will impact students and teachers alike.

Although the extended days off were caused by unsafe weather conditions, they will need to be made up later in the year to meet attendance requirements. March 7 and April 21 were previously scheduled days off for the beginning of spring break and Easter Monday, but students will now be expected on campus. As a result, spring break and Easter weekend will no be slightly shorter. However, the make-up days will not interfere with the earlier end of the school year in May. Once the state attendance requirements are met, students and educators are back on track to complete the year as usual.

As the Titans transition back into the routine of school, there will be new measures implemented to ensure the safety of everyone on campus. West is introducing the Open Gate Safe Entry detection system, which is designed to be more efficient than the metal detectors previously used in this process. Open Gate is a fully open walk-through detection system that requires no electrical connection between the detection pillars as opposed to typical metal detectors. The screening days at West were sprinkled randomly throughout the first semester, but the amount is now expected to increase due to the ease of the new system. To make the process run smoothly, students are encouraged to remove easily detected items from their bags such as computers and metal-ringed binders prior to the screenings to avoid backed up lines and crowds in the breezeways. Open Gate is also most effective when students walk through while wearing their backpacks with both straps, as well as waiting to pack their bags back up after walking completely through the entry system. This process will begin as soon as students arrive back from break, and will continue for the first four weeks of the third quarter.

Another safety measure that will be put in place is a bit more familiar to students, hopefully requiring less adjustment. In the 2023-2024 school year, a resource known as Smartpass was briefly introduced and tested by educators. Smartpass is a fully digital hall pass system that is intended to regulate interruptions outside of the classroom and allow teachers to know where their students are during class instruction. The digital hall pass operates through an app on Chromebooks, where students must request to leave the classroom for any reason, whether it be to use the restroom or meet with a counselor. The request must be approved by the teacher before allowing a student to leave the classroom, allotting them a certain amount of time before they are expected to return. The system also limits how many students are allowed outside of class at a time per building, which all staff will be able to see.

Although the handful of changes expected to be made in the second semester may require some getting used to, the new year is the best time for change. The new safety procedures put in place are done to better the experience of both students and teachers, as well as making school a safer environment for all. After a long and restful break, the Titans are ready to greet West with motivation, and get right back on schedule.