For those of you who haven’t seen/heard of this email from Interim Principal Callanan, I have attached a screenshot for your convenience.
Dear RMHS Seniors, students and Parents/Caregivers
The recent email sent by RMHS Interim Principal Callanan to defend the decision to revoke senior privilege only had the opposite effect on the student body. This email was an attempt to sway the opinions of parents, and to us students it seems like another way our voices are being silenced. This decision was made unexpectedly without consultation of the Class of 2024, and we wish now for our voices to be heard. We urge our parents to stick by us and what we believe, as many of us are now young adults capable of making our own decisions.
The claims of security issues with open campus in place are grossly over-exaggerated, as there are many safety precautions in place to ensure the wellbeing of all staff and students. These precautions include but are not limited to student identification cards, and limited access back into the school, as to return after leaving you must enter through the main doors which must be unlocked by the secretaries. Additionally, for the past three years seniors have had open campus and there have been no significant security issues.
Although the COVID pandemic's physical effects on the student body have been vastly minimized, the mental toll it took on us is still heavy. The Class of 2024 were in the end of their 8th grade year when the quarantine began. We lost out on much of our freshman year. It wasn't until the end of our sophomore year that we were even allowed to see each other without wearing masks. It's difficult to effectively express how much of a loss we felt due to COVID-19. The loss of the open campus implemented during this time is an unjust removal of a privilege that the Class of 2024 has patiently waited for and deserves.
We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to us as students to have the support of our parents. Please do not let this email scare you into submission. We as students will continue to push to have our privilege to open campus reinstated. The growing petition to demonstrate support for this movement has now reached over 750 signatures, and we could not be more grateful for this support.