At this point in the school year, the transition phase is over, and the use of keycards has become a part of everyday life at Friends Academy. Here’s how these little pieces of magnetic plastic make our school safer.

Despite annoying computer updates, the threat of hackers, and constant advancements that make some relatively recent products practically obsolete, technology has successfully sped up many tasks that have previously proved tedious and time consuming. Taking attendance at Friends Academy used to be one of these tasks. With labs, absences, early dismissals, and tardiness, attendance was a confusing process. Different information from various sources would result in an inaccurate compilation of attendance statuses that made it difficult to keep track of students. This lack of accountability hinders campus safety by compromising accurate communication between teachers, parents, and the administration. These new pieces of plastic simplify the process and make attendance-taking more reliable.

Every day, before their grade level meetings, students scan their own I.D. card on one of the various scanners located around the school. As an extra measure, advisors take attendance manually as well. This way, if a student happens to forget his or her keycard, they will not be inaccurately marked as absent. On the other hand, if a student comes in late, he or she can swipe his or her keycard by Maddie Clark’s office to avoid being marked absent. Overall, the new system helps to regulate and improve the way we account for our students as a school.

While carrying around a tiny plastic card may seem insignificant, the community as a whole took a little time getting used to using its keycards in everyday school life. Remembering to pull it out to open a door and to swipe before grade level meetings were important yet small tasks that could easily be overlooked. However, with that transition phase coming to a close, the new solidified keycard system is beginning to help our school become safer and more accountable for its students every day.