Constructing the Future

Society often surprises its people with grand examples of responsibility, pride, and leadership. Many people question how these few individuals are capable of being such stellar citizens while so many others have failed. The answer is more obvious than expected -- high school. Shadow Ridge High School strives to create mature adults prepared to enter, survive, and contribute to the world outside of school and their parents home; the school demonstrates this goal specifically through the bell system and no late work policy, clubs like Gay Straight Alliance, and the ROTC program.

Set up by the Clark County District and by the individual teachers of each class, the bell system and no late work policy accustom students to how the "real world" -- life beyond high school -- works, with deadlines and set time periods. This system and policy bestow responsibility on each individual, as each student is solely responsible for his or her own assignments and time schedule. Most teachers and administration do not accept excuses, and individuals must put effort into turning assignments in and arriving on time. The consequences of arriving late start with verbal warnings and progress to parent notification, detention, and even suspension the more the student is late. Many teachers do not accept late homework, and most teachers who do count the assignment as only half credit. For these reasons, a student quickly learns that procrastination is dangerous; he or she may even learn to be early so as to prepare for any unexpected obstacles. Sydney Pressman, a student at Shadow Ridge High School, claimed, "[The bell schedule and no late work policy] teach students to manage their time properly. These policies are put in place in order to instill ...

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...udents to take charge and be leaders in society. Miss Yanish explained, "I've benefitted in becoming more organized and being able to work on group projects." She also said that "the purpose [of ROTC] is to create people who are involved in the community." This is exactly what the school wants, too.

Shadow Ridge High School does its best to make sure students are ready for life, and it does an excellent job. Individuals graduate high school with characteristics they would not get in the outside world. High school tries to offer students everything they need to be productive members of society. Though somewhat hidden, the school teaches the values of promptness, social acceptance, pride, leadership, and more through the bell system and no late work policy, clubs, and ROTC. It is up to the students, then, to fulfill the expectations set by Shadow Ridge High School.