The “Are you green?” policy might’ve started as a smart way to help students stay on top of their attendance and behavior. By typing in your OSIS on the school website, you can see if you’re in the clear or not. But just because something may look perfect on a screen doesn’t mean it works perfectly in real life.
Five detentions. That’s all it takes for students at Richmond Hill High School to lose their “green” status. Once you’re not green, you’re excluded. No annual carnival, no school dances, and not even movie nights. Just like that, students are forced to watch from the side, treated as if they were troublemakers. Even if all they did was show up late to school a few times or skip lunch to help around the school.
The idea behind the “Are you green” policy might’ve started with good intentions, but somewhere along the way it stopped being fair as it was supposed to be. Not every detention means a student is misbehaving. Sometimes, life outside of school shows up – it might be family responsibilities, stress, or just a rough week. No matter what, the system treats every slip-up the same, without context or conversation.
Taking away events doesn’t fix anything, in fact, it does the opposite. It pushes students further away from school spirit, from their classmates, and from chances to actually feel like they belong. These events have so much more meaning, they give students a break from school stress, a way to make a connection with classmates, and for some, the only part of school that’s actually enjoyable.
Senior Sei Johnson remarked, “It’s more normal to not be green than to be green.” He emphasizes how easy it is to rack up detentions and how students have figured out how to navigate the systems.
“There are no real consequences unless there’s an event,” he said. “So people just hold onto their detentions until they need to get rid of them.” The policy isn’t motivating students to do better rather it just makes them feel isolated from their peers.
When students are left out, they stop trying. Ms. Arriola, the senior advisor, notices how many students give up on participating. “They know they’re not green, so they don’t even bother buying tickets,” she said. “Sometimes, their friends won’t go either, just because one of them can’t.” That kind of impact goes deeper than just missing a school dance – it damages school culture.
Even staff who support the policy agree that it needs some revision. Mr. Kunjbahari, the assistant principal of security, pushed the importance of fairness. “We have to balance the rules with equity,” he explained. He also mentioned that the policies have been around for over a decade but many students today aren’t aware of it, or how to get out of the red zone. Without clear information and transparency, how are students supposed to change?
There is a misconception that students who aren’t green aren’t involved with school activities or trying, but that’s not always true. Student IT assistant Md Uddin said he sees people trying hard, and still getting locked out. “It feels more like exclusion than discipline,” he said. “There could be a real reason for someone being late, but that doesn’t seem to matter.”
This isn’t about throwing away the whole policy. It’s about shifting the focus. Instead of punishing students who slip up, why not reward those who stay green? For example, giving them discounts on school events, like paying $5 instead of $7 for a winter dance. Knowing you could be saving money just for being responsible could actually motivate students. Who wouldn’t want to save a couple dollars in this economy? Positive reinforcement could be a game changer. Imagine celebrating good attendance, respect, and responsibility, making those achievements visible and appreciated.
Some teachers have already started doing so. Principal Alamarie, for example, switched from calling out students who were disruptive or not participating to putting names of students doing really well on a bulletin board that is showcased in the school hallways, and he says other students began asking how they could get their name on the board. It’s a simple way to build a culture where effort and good choices get noticed, rather than only spotlighting what goes wrong.
Mr. Kunjabahari agrees there’s room to explore this kind of approach. He mentioned upcoming events that reward positive behavior, like the academy field day, which gives students something to look forward to and work towards. More importantly, he emphasized that the goal is to teach lifelong skills like accountability and responsibility, not just to keep kids out of fun events.
The “Are You Green?” policy could be more than just a checklist for keeping students out. It can be a tool to encourage growth, connection, and a stronger school community. However, that means making sure all students understand how it works, how to improve, and that there’s a way back in without feeling punished or excluded. A lot of students don’t realize that detentions can actually be removed, by going to tutoring, helping out a teacher, or being active in a club. These restorative options should be clearer and more emphasized so students know there’s a path forward.
Change starts with communication, transparency, and recognizing effort. When students feel seen and supported, not just monitored and judged, school can become a place they want to be part of, green or not.
