Kobbe Willis

Milo Dungan knows when the one-minute bell hits to get to class, especially before homeroom.

This year at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, we were introduced to a new chime at the start of the year: the one-minute bell. After talking with our new principal, Dan Wrobleski, he said it aims to help children become more punctual and aware. Wrobleski said that even he has trouble being on time sometimes, so the new bell helps everyone.

Wrobleski said the idea originated from his last few months on campus and from observing the students. “When the bell rang and I saw the kids out in the hall, I felt like I was at Rosedale Mall… It seemed like there wasn’t an urgency to get to class,” Wrobleski said.

He noted that in previous experience with other schools, having a one-minute bell helped signal to students and teachers that it was time to wrap up conversations and head to class. “It’s just a reminder that we need to get to class and be present and start on time,” Wrobleski said.

Wrobleski mentioned that he has not received any formal feedback from the staff, but a few students have mentioned their thoughts informally. A couple of students said at the football game that they liked the one-minute bell, because it reminded them to get to class. But others have mentioned that while they see it as unnecessary during the day, it is useful in the morning before school starts. Demetrius Williams Jr, a freshman, stated that it wasn’t a big change.“[I] think it’s good; people like it. They get it when the bell rings to hurry. They get one more minute to realize class starts,” Williams said.

Wrobleski said he has plans for studying the effectiveness of the new bell by comparing the tardiness data between the years. While tardiness could persist nonetheless, Wrobleski says that the bell system will most likely become permanent. “It was meant to support everyone—students and staff—and help us make the most of our time together in class,” Wrobleski said.

He also emphasizes that the ultimate goal of the additional bell is to maximize classroom time with 40-minute periods during Friday’s eight-period schedule. “If everybody filters in two minutes late, by the time we take attendance and get started, you might only have 35 minutes left…That’s tough for teachers trying to run an effective class,” Wrobleski said.

As the year continues, the administration will monitor how the one-minute bell influences classroom tardiness. Whether students and staff fully adjust to the change will take time, but the purpose remains to improve class efficiency and attendance. But without the data being shown for now, the bell is just a daily reminder to get to class.