On Jan. 30, students at North were surprised to hear the sound that people have now associated with the new fire alarm.
“There was a faulty smoke detector that has already been replaced,” Assistant Principal Shelly Parks said.
Although this has not been the first fire alarm to go off during a passing period this year, there was much confusion on where to go and what to do. Some students found their second hour teacher, some found their third and some were instructed to find their Knight Time teacher. The confusion was multiplied when students realized that some of the teachers they needed to be with were on the other side of the school.
“When it’s during a passing period, what we want to happen is for the kids to go with the teachers in whose classes they were just in,” Parks said. “Because you have already taken attendance in that class. We’re really good in structured times, but we need more practice with passing period. Once we’re out of the building, remembering where we go on the field and checking in with teachers-that level of accountability needs to work.”
Staff tried many ways to convey the necessary information to students and teachers during the chaos. Associate Principal Brett Bevill, who is in charge of safety, had a megaphone that he attempted to use to reach the masses. Unfortunately, it wasn’t loud enough. Teachers and the admin team were making announcements, and Parks herself even made it up into the press box to use the intercom. Despite all of their efforts, the time between getting outside and receiving the correct information on where to go seemed endless for some students.
“I don’t like that they made us stand out here for 20 minutes,” junior Joshua Ramon said. “[It’s probably not a real fire], it’s probably an accidental switch again.”
To make matters worse for students and staff, many didn’t dress according to the cold and rainy weather that occurred. Some fortunate students were seen with umbrellas and jackets on as they attempted to stay warm and dry.
“I just left all my stuff in the school and we’re getting soaked out here and it’s cold,” senior Kayleigh Meine said. “This just sounds like a joke. I feel like I’m gonna be more mad about it if it’s a joke at this point. It’s kind of just annoying.”
