Writer’s Note: This article was written in September, 2022. The Tattler acknowledges that changes at IHS may have been implemented
by the time of publication.
On a daily basis, the IHS community is subject to multiple announcements over the public address (PA) system. Ranging from lunch menus to requests for students to report to the Welcome Center, most announcements have one thing in common: they should not be made during class periods.
The main reason these announcements are not beneficial is that they take away from the seriousness of emergency alerts to the school. School emergencies consist of Shelter-In-Place, Hold-In- Place, Evacuate, Lockout, and Lockdown. All of these situations must be brought to the attention of students and staff as soon as someone is made aware of the problem. However, constant PA announcements about lunch, athletic events, and student attendance minimize the effect of the PA system. Students frequently talk over the PA system during class time because the announcement rarely applies to them. This is dangerous, as a true emergency situation may not be heard or taken seriously. Additionally, frequent announcements are potentially triggering for students, who may believe there is an in-school emergency when they hear the sound of the intercom turning on.
Luckily, there are alternatives to mid-class announcements. Lots
of information regarding Universal Lunch can very easily be emailed to the school rather than made over the PA system, and lunch menus can be found at ithacacityschools.org/lunch. Additionally, when a student or staff member is asked to report to
a location, calls to the classroom should be made, rather than school-wide broadcasts. All classrooms have a call button that can be used for both initiating calls and responding. These should be used instead of alerting the whole school, especially because every single student in IHS is disrupted by these messages when made through the PA system. As for athletic events—which are already publicized via social media, Canvas, school-wide emails, and the electronic sign outside of the large parking lot at IHS—a school- wide PA announcement is not necessary. Finally, information that the school firmly believes should be broadcasted, such as the Indigenous Land Acknowledgement and bussing information, should always be made before the onset of first period. Thus, by preserving the PA system for truly urgent messages, IHS can create a healthier environment for learning and better promote the general well-being of students and staff.