What if doing absolutely anything you wanted to… Was a class!? There would be so many opportunities! Doing homework, socializing with friends, studying, making up missed tests, or simply relaxing and enjoying some fresh air. That all sounds pretty good to me!


Recent studies have shown, that adults who work too much or too little, are more likely to die at an earlier age due to stress. Well, speaking as student in junior high, I know that we deal with many stresses as well. And how on Earth can we focus on getting good grades with all this stress? We have classes back to back all day with just a thirty minute lunch break at noon. No way can we keep up our energy and attention!


Some high schools have a “free period” where the students can either leave the campus to run errands, grab a bite to eat, or just stay in school to study or get missed assignments. But we are only young teenagers. Fourteen at the most! And the idea of letting us run around like a bunch of wild animals is just crazy! But with my idea of a not quite as free version of a high school free period, Junior Pass Class, everybody wins!


Junior Pass Class would be offered as an elective, but this would be an award, something the students of Lanier must work for. If they put Junior Pass Class as their elective, they would be required to work hard and keep up their grades. Any child with a grade below a 75 would be required to take a tutorial session in their failing class in the time designated for their free class. This would not only give the students the incentive to strive for their best, but also raise Lanier’s test scores with all of the labor the kids are putting into their school work. This class would benefit all of us.


Also, I believe that this would reduce the number of students who receive detentions from skipping class. Think about it from a child’s mind. If the objective of the class is to do what you please, then would you really want to wander the halls for ninety minutes all by yourself? Of course not! You’d rather be enjoying your time off, talking to friends, and not worrying about getting caught.


The rules of Junior Pass Class would be very few, but followed as if they were law. To ensure that no kids are in the halls or stairwells doing anything that could get them in trouble, or risk ruining Lanier’s reputation, the students will NOT be allowed to leave the class room to “ask a teacher a question”, go to their locker, check out a book from the library, or anything else. The only exception to this rule would be a signed pass by the teacher they will be visiting or an email to their pass class teacher. Absolutely nothing else… Violations of these rules could result in being removed from Junior Pass Class indefinitely.

Lastly, being an IB school, we receive a lot of homework some days. And sometimes it can be just too much to take. The thirty minute study lab we are given, (although very much appreciated) just isn’t enough! With this class, the students will have the opportunity to finish any homework they may have overlooked the night before, or needed their friends help on! And if more students turned in their work on time and got better grades, the school could very well be rated even higher than we already are.


So here is the bottom line. If Junior Pass Class could raise Lanier’s test scores, get us recognized as a very intelligent school, give students the break they need while encouraging them to work to their full capacity, and give the struggling students a chance to excel, then what are we waiting for? Junior Pass Class here we come!