With the new year in full swing, it is time to start enacting change into the school and community that will affect GRC for the better.

Smoke Signals has identified a few adjustments that could be made within GRC, and we suggest some ways to deal with these issues.

1. Incorporate announcements into the school day so students and teachers will be informed.

These announcements could be given before or after the pledge, or during eighth period, and would only take up a few seconds of the teachers’ class time

2. Allow students to eat in the Courtyard when the weather permits as a way to reward them for good grades and behavior.

Small actions like this go a long way to make school more enjoyable for students, and it is a very simple change to make.

This change will make lunch more fun, give students a chance to get some fresh air, and incentivize students to have good grades and behavior.

3. Have class officer elections the year before the next year so student leaders will get a head start on having a voice.

Student government has already come a long way in the past few years, but having elections in December only gives the representatives one semester to effect change.

By holding officer elections the year before, students can get a jump on their plans for the following year, and have more time to make change happen at the beginning of the school year.

4. Allow officers to meet with administrators on a regular basis to advise them on student concerns and make suggestions for improvements.

By sitting in during certain administration meetings and being able to present their ideas, students will have a voice at school and a say in what goes on inside.

5. Enhance school spirit by holding pep rallies for certain grades. Pep rallies have been missing at GRC since we moved into the new school and arrangements need to be made to have some type of pep rally on big game days.

This would boost school spirit all around, an attribute this school has lacked for a while.