Welcome back Hubbard Eagles!! It’s the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, and the start of this new year brings some significant changes to dress code and phone use particularly, and a new attendance policy.. These new rules will have a major impact on our school year not only this year, but in the years to come and most students will recognize these changes as a privilege.

The most anticipated policy change this year is the new dress code which can be found in the student handbook on page 41. Beneficial changes have been made to make the dress code geared more towards the student’s sense of individuality and self-expression.  Two major changes to the HHS dress code include the ability to wear hoodies and graphic t-shirts.  Also new to the dress code is the allowance of yoga pants and leggings worn with a fingertip length dress or shirt, and ripped jeans as long as no skin can be seen. These new changes have been widely accepted by the HHS student body and have helped countless students enjoy their school experience even more.

Another major change to the school year is the new attendance policy. Assistant Principal Austin Handrych explained the past policy which stated that attendance records were based off of the number of days a student missed within the school year, with each student allotted 18 unexcused absences. Failure to abide by these rules would result in truancy.  Now, explained the Assistant Principal, the new attendance policy is based upon hours missed instead of days missed.  In Section II of the attendance regulations in the Student Handbook, it is written that one day is equivalent to six hours. Each student is allotted 108 hours per school year of unexcused absence without having grades withheld for the year.  However, there is also the case of Habitual Truancy, explained Handrych. “This is outlined as 30 or more missed consecutive hours, 42 or more missed hours in one month and/or 72 or more hours within a year. If a student is deemed habitually truant, an Absence Intervention Team (AIT) will be assembled and a plan for that student will be made.”

When asked about his opinion on the new dress code, the Assistant Principal replied, “I like it much better than before.”  He was also asked what his future plans for the dress code were, and his reply was “Status quo for now.”  Referring to the new policy on hoodies, Handrych stated that often times, especially after a long winter weekend,  “The school is very cold,” and therefore he’s glad that students now have the privilege to wear hoodies. These dress code changes have been widely accepted by staff and students alike, so thanks to all administrators who have made these new rules  a definite positive for this school year.