The following article was published as a part of The Seminole’s 2013 April Fool’s issue! The information, quotations, statistics, and other content is completely fictitious and should not be considered a true representation of the school, the administration, or other governing entities.

Beginning the week of April 8th, Principal Mike Gaudreau plans to eliminate the bell system typically used in the school schedule and is giving students a “heads-up” to the upcoming change. Gaudreau said, “This is going to be a new method in which Seminole High School can meet college-readiness standards as outlined by the county.”

College-readiness is the combination of skills, knowledge, and habits of mind necessary to fully participate in college-level courses to completion.

When asked about his decision, Gaudreu said, “The real world has no bell schedule. I want to simulate the real world. In this way, I can instill a sense of personal responsibility in the students of Seminole High School.”

The times for dismissal and the start of class will remain the same as previous years; students can refer to the schedule printed in their planner for these times. The only difference is that there will be no bell prompting students to transfer from class to class. Formerly reinforced disciplinary actions regarding the tardy policy will still be in effect.

Assistant Principal Mary Turner said, “The same rules still apply. If students are tardy, detentions will be passed out. If students surpass the school policy of coming to class late (past six minutes at the start of class), the student will be marked absent.”

Senior Nick Garcia expressed concern about the dismissal of the formerly used bell system and said, “I think it’s a good concept, but I’m not sure how well it will be executed because of how large the school is.” Principal Gaudreu refuted this claim and said, “colleges have huge campuses with tens of thousands students enrolled, yet they do not have a bell system.”

Freshman Mikaela Larsen added, “It would be hard getting to my classes. I already have a difficult time making it to class on time because of all the kids on campus.”

This policy will cause students to get accustomed to real-world situations and establish personal responsibility for one’s actions. After all, if one is late to a business meeting, the blame is on the employee.

In a closing statement, Gaudreu said, “The repercussions of this new system are to be felt by the student. All students have the potential to grow and learn from this experience.”