Principal Points - "Detentions"

Past Principal Points

The Value Of Detention Hall

Starting last year, AKCS introduced a formal Detention Hall on Friday afternoons, primarily for junior and senior high students. It involves a considerable amount of time on the part of teachers to keep track of missing assignments, write notes to parents, record it in the log book, ensure that students attend when they should, and then actually supervise the detention during their rotation. While we believe that it has proven beneficial for a number of students, this is not always the case. Also, its benefit will be largely related to the degree of parental support, so I wanted to take this page to explain the purpose behind Detention Hall, and then ask for your reaction to see if we should continue with it.

Detention is assigned primarily for two reasons. Either students have not completed an assignment by the end of the grace period of one or two days and have received a zero for it, or they have failed to keep their marks above 60% for a mid-term or quarterly progress report. In either event, Detention Hall is a way of saying to a student, that if they haven't had enough time to complete work during class or homework, then we will provide additional time to do so. The goal is twofold: to provide concentrated study time, and to help them develop better work habits.

Detention is assigned on Friday afternoons because we have early dismissal, but also because it coincides with the high school extended phys. ed. activities. Generally, phys. ed. is a course students do not wish to miss, and so this becomes doubly motivating for them. As a rule, students do not need to serve a detention during an extended phys. ed. activity unless they have banked up more than six detentions.

During detention students are expected to work quietly on their own. They can use the time in several ways. They can complete the homework which they missed and which caused them to get detention in the first place. They can review and take notes on any subjects in which they received less than 60%. They can write make-up texts. They can complete any other homework assignments which are due.

The greatest value for students will come if they use detention to work on those subjects which cause them difficulty. They can ask their teacher for additional practice sheets, or review old tests, or read ahead, etc. If they simply use it to work on those subjects which they enjoy or have no trouble with, then they miss the value of it. To date, we have not asked teachers to monitor how students spend their time as long as it is school work of some sort.

During detention, students will not normally get much help with their subjects because teachers from all grades and subject areas take turns supervising Detention Hall. So, it is important that students bring work which they can do independently.

For most students Detention Hall is a rare event and a sharp reminder to buckle down and get their work done. For some, it seems to be a repeat affair, and there are some who appear to be "lifers"! If students receive repeated detentions, the school will begin to remove them from some of their phys. ed. activities. This may be the extended phys. ed. or even regular classes--whatever seems to be most effective in bringing the needed change in work habits.

Parents can assist the school in making detention effective by adding their own consequences. In one case, the family charges the student an additional $5 to help pay for gas to make a second trip out to pick them up. Another requires their students to walk home after detention. Others remove students from weekend activities or community sports. All of these can be very effective. As one teacher exclaimed upon hearing about the gas arrangement, "Talk about support from the home!" Frankly, nothing is more powerful in changing behavior for a student than the home and school working together.

Finally, we do not believe that Detention Hall is the appropriate consequence for students who are trying their best and are genuinely not able to complete their work on time or keep their marks above 60%. If your child is a "repeat offender" J , and you feel he or she cannot do any better, then you need to speak to me about this. We can make exceptions or modify a student's program on a case by case basis as it seems appropriate.

Brian Hazeltine, B.Ed., M.A.
Principal, Airdrie Koinonia Christian School