by Isabella Landaverde ‘27

Sherwood implemented a new hall digital hall pass system that is located in Synergy. This new system allows for students to rely on an electronic pass as a replacement to a traditional physical pass for bathroom visits and more. There are many features that are useful for administration in terms of  regulating students in the halls. 

One of the biggest additions to the new system is the ability to track all hall pass data. Assistant Principal Dirk Cauley said administrators now have the ability to see active passes, which students are using them, how often passes are used, and which bathrooms receive the most traffic. 

Cauley said that throughout the school year, administrators will look at whether to limit the number of students that are sent to one or more bathrooms at the same time. He also mentioned that the new system has not been used yet to restrict individual students from receiving hall passes, but administrators can identify frequent users and speak with them about their pass usage. The electronic system creates a list of the top users, giving administrators more information about how often students leave class. 

Teachers have adapted to the new pass system, though students have observed that it often is an inconvenience for their teachers to jump on computers to use the system when students ask to go to the bathroom. “The synergy hall pass system allows teachers to see who is out, making monitoring easier,” said Staff Development teacher Sarah Pruchniewski.  “The challenge with the digital hall pass is ending the hall pass once the student returns to class.” 

    Cauley also mentioned this same concern, explaining that teachers may forget to close passes which can lead to inaccurate data about how long students are out. Despite the challenges, improvements to this system may be coming. Cauley stated that a future Synergy version could allow teachers to end passes easier by not having to switch screens.  

      As Sherwood continues to adjust to the Synergy hall pass, the system’s significant upgrade from paper passes is that it provides more information and control.                         

      Although it is still new, staff experiences suggest that the digital system could become more convenient as teachers become more familiar with it and with future updates to address current concerns.