In the new 2013-2014 school year, students from all over have come to join Puma-Nation. The influx of freshmen, however have put a “divide” in our school. That “divide” being the plastic bag partition that have been put up in 2 classrooms across campus.
The partitions have been put in place in order to accommodate all the new teachers being brought on staff, and also opening up space for more students to be held in one place at the same time.
Classroom C-115 has been split up into C-115A and C-115B, by only a thin plastic tarp. Most of which, is only taped to the wall, in attempt to create the false identity of a wall.
Principal Dan Serrano says that “The increasing enrollment (of students) which caused us to add more teachers” is a major reason that the partitions have been put in place. Only two rooms on campus have been slip up, the media classroom and last year’s yearbook studio, creating four new classrooms to occupy.
With the many people who are on campus,the black tarp walls may affect their working ability as well. Security guard Tommy Rice said “for other people who don’t work in here… they probably wouldn’t know” how to decipher which room is which.”
On the subject of renumbering the classrooms Rice had this to say “I think they’re fine as they are A and B. I mean people can figure that out after they get them number on the outside of the classroom.”
However, the break-up may not be all good news. Teachers with the plastic walls have elected to not hold class in their rooms due to the inconveniences. Kate Copic’s fourth hour english class for example, moves into Cindy Pino’s empty room during that period to escape the noise and to use a working computer.
“It’s difficult because we have to move classrooms almost every day.” junior, Brenna James, who is a current student in Copic’s fourth hour english class states. “The bag doesn’t block the sound out. The teacher next to us will be talking and we can hear her, and their class can hear us.”
The good news is, the plastic is not a permanent fixture. Since the interview with Principal Serrano, the metal partitions have been put in place and classes have been able to resume as normal.
