As many Ramapo High School students and staff have been notified, the school is implementing a new resolution for safer bathroom use. Following the hate-crime bias incident in an RHS bathroom, the RHS administration was given the idea of the QR code by a Ramapo employee who strives to keep the school environment positive.
To inform the student body and staff, Ramapo High School Principal, Mr. Smith, made an announcement over the PA system on Wednesday, January 31st. This announcement began with Mr. Smith expressing pride in the upkeep of clean and well-maintained facilities for students and staff. Mr. Smith went on to ask students to maintain the high standards set for cleanliness through disposing of trash properly, reporting maintenance issues, engaging in respectful behavior, and encouraging students to share the importance of the shared spaces. He emphasized the significance of proper trash disposal by stating that “No foreign objects should be thrown into a toilet. This is a serious problem for the pipes and plumbing system that can affect the entire plumbing system of our school.”
Mr. Smith also reiterated the value of treating the restrooms with respect. He reminded students that they should “treat the restrooms with the same respect you would show in any other part of the school. This includes refraining from writing on walls, using graffiti, or engaging in any behavior that may damage the facilities.” He also underscored the fact that students who participate in these inappropriate and unacceptable acts do not reflect the traits of a Raider.
The main resolution the RHS Administration has implemented is introducing a Google Form attached to a QR code in the bathroom that informs the administration of any problems. This form notifies the RHS Assistant Principals and Head Custodian of the problems submitted. The QR code has already been successfully used to fix bathroom problems due to the quick information given to the custodians through the Google Form (RHS APTS February 8th Minutes).
To complete the Google Form attached to the QR code, the student must attach a photo. The instructions do not specify that the photo needs to be related to the issue submitted, but the photo portion has been questioned by RHS students. A Ramapo High School student explained the worries she has with the QR code. She said that “taking a picture of the QR code in the bathroom, where the supposed activity has taken place, is incredibly weird because I feel as if others think I am ‘tattle-telling’ on them.” This student mentioned that having the QR Code posted online and in less populated areas, such as the guidance office or inside bathroom stalls, would help preserve anonymity.
This worry from students was brought up during the February 8th RHS Association of Parents, Teachers, and Students (APTS) meeting with Mr. Smith and Mr. Guido to inform them of student opinions. RHS Assistant Principal Mr. Guido addressed this concern by encouraging students to take action and “teach students to be an up-stander instead of a by-stander.” He hopes that this will empower and encourage students to do the right thing. Mr. Guido also hopes that “the signs in each bathroom and around the shared spaces are a reminder that everyone is aware and watching for things that are damaging to our school environment.” The RHS administration wants students to understand that telling them about bullies or destructive behavior is not “tattle-telling” because it is for the benefit of the school. He emphasized that the current resolution is meant to solve current problems, but they are still looking for more initiatives and welcome opinions and recommendations from all.
In the Kansas City region, the KC Crime Stoppers, a program of the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission, assists the school environment via a form submission, similar to the new RHS QR Code. The KC Crime Stopper’s work toward their goal “to facilitate a partnership between the public, the media and law enforcement in order to help make the metropolitan area a safer place to live, work, and visit” (KCCrimeStoppers.com). The KC Crime Stoppers currently utilize an app that allows students to tell administrators about anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. This application was created with hopes to “provide students a safe place to submit information they may have about bullying, a student’s mental well-being, drugs, guns, vandalism, thefts, or other crimes in their schools” (KCCrimeStoppers.com). The KC Crime Stoppers have helped numerous school districts solve problems and create a safer school environment because of the QR code (Fox4KC.com). The RHS Administration hopes that the QR Code will similarly help the school environment and notify the administration of any problems that can be dealt with swiftly.
The Ramapo administration wants all Ramapo students to speak up about problems they see in the building, regardless of the situation and area of the school. By submitting problems to the Google Form connected to the QR Code, the administrators will be able to help improve the school through student input.
