New administration enforces rules

lightweight. This standardized way of making satellites makes them cheaper to launch because they’re much smaller and lighter than conventional satellites.

“It was a lot of fun. I mean, at the age of 16 being able to capture pictures of the earth is kind of a big deal,” Gruber said. “I haven’t heard of anybody else doing it.”

LILLY WILLIAMS. Editor-in-Chief

After multiple years of leniency due to COVID-19, the administration has returned to strict enforcement of the school rules. New assistant principal Derek Douglas has made offenses and their punishments more accessible to students by creating a chart and placing one on the wall of every classroom.

“I’m very policy driven,” Douglas said. “I look back at what policies have really helped Stockbridge grow and be successful and what policies maybe need more support.”

One of the policies that has been emphasized the most this year is the attendance policy.

“On Fridays, students with too many tardies have detention and attendance letters have been sent home to students that are getting close to that seven absence limit,” principal Jeff Trapp said.

These changes in policy enforcement are being viewed by the administration as a return to normalcy after a couple of chaotic school years.

“There is a slight increase in the sense that we’re coming back after a couple hard years and we’re getting back to the normal with some improvements,” Trapp said.

Another change that took place this year was the switch from four 90-minute classes to six 60-minute classes. While this increases the workload for both teachers and students, it decreases the amount of students in the hallways during class.

“It’s always going to be a work in progress,” Trapp said. “The school district as a whole is committed to always looking for improvements.”

Meet our new assistant principal

Derek Douglas, from Vancouver, Canada, joined the school staff this year as the assistant principal. While this may not be news, Douglas has been getting to know the school and letting the community get to know him.

Douglas has taught in several different places over the years. From places as far as the Dominican Republic, to Eaton Academy in Birmingham Michigan, to closer places like Parker Middle School and Highlanderway in Howell. As a result of being in so many diverse places, Douglas has taken up many

What happened to recycling?

During the spring of 2019, the recycling program was cut from leadership’s responsibilities because of COVID-19. The school went virtual and assignments were done in Google classroom, not on paper. The following school year was a hybrid year, where students could choose whether they wanted to learn from home or at school. Google classroom was the main mode of communication, so paper was scarce.

languages. He’s learned bits of German, Spanish, Arabic and French.

He’s bounced between teaching and administrating and says that if he could teach any class, he would fuse ELA and Social Studies class.

“If you’re in Social Studies talking about speeches, or in ELA talking about writing or interpreting stories, all those things are interconnected,” Douglas said.

Outside of school, Douglas also has interests in nature and building and enjoys taking care of the trails by his cottage and taking care of the forest.

Douglas also has a daughter, Adelaide, or Addie, who is three and a half years old and likes to keep his home life and work life separate.

“The biggest thing that guides wherever I am and whatever I’m doing, I try and do it the best that I possibly can, and give it my all,” Douglas said.

“So whether it’s playing with my daughter, am I thinking about work at that time? Am I thinking about what I’m going to make for dinner? No, my goal is to just be there and be present.”

Now students are back in the classroom and not all teachers use Google classroom, so paper is back. When leadership collected paper, the company who picks up the paper wanted the school to pay them a fee to recycle the paper. This was a major problem for the school and it was at this point that the recycling program came to a halt.

Currently, the school omit uses trash company waste management instead of the former recycling company. There are a few reasons why the school isn’t keeping up with its recycling program.

“Well, we can try. I know one of the things that will be more challenging about it is that I used to have 90 minute classes and we would recycle in the first 20-25 minutes of class once a week,” U.S. history and leadership teacher Corey Baird said. “So now, not only am I only having shorter classes but I also have fewer kids in there because of the scheduling conflicts due to 6 hour days.”

There are students who would like the recycling program to start up again.

“It would be a really good idea, because we don’t do enough of it, and we waste a lot of stuff here,” leadership senior Emily Vanpelt said.

“We should have the recycling program back,” freshman Alana Porzio said.

WADKINS. Reporter