Hayfield Secondary School is known for its vibrant community and the unique way teachers go about their hall passes. This is seen throughout the school as a way of identifying teachers’ personalities and styles. Each hall pass is seen as a gateway through which students are able to travel around the school without being asked where they should be at that particular time.
Although they may seem like small objects, hall passes play a major role in the daily routine of the school. They help maintain order in the hallways while also showing creativity and trust between teachers and students. From simple designs to more unusual ones, hall passes at Hayfield reflect how rules and individuality can coexist within a school environment.
Beyond just being tools for leaving class, hall passes also help staff quickly identify where students belong. Many teachers take this into account when choosing their passes. Coach Michael Carfang explained that he selected his pass with this in mind.
“I kind of did choose it purposely because a lot of people know that I have these specific hall passes, and that way if students are wandering the halls, security and other adults in the building would know where that student belongs versus where they’re at,” Carfang said.
His hall pass, a lacrosse stick head, also reflects his connection to the sport.
“I figured the lacrosse stick head would help associate me with the sport of lacrosse with my students,” Carfang said. This shows how something as simple as a hall pass can represent both identity and function at the same time.
These hall passes are quite contrasting to the regular paper lanyard passes that teachers typically give out to their students. When adjusting to these new and creative passes, some students have a bit of hesitation.
“They were upset at first,” Alvin Fitzgerald, PE teacher, who uses a 15-pound weight plate, said. “Some students said they weren’t going to the bathroom,” Fitzgerald said. While that reaction may seem negative, it oftentimes works in the teacher’s favor by reducing unnecessary trips out of the classroom.
Fitzgerald actually never intended to use a weight, it just happened out of availability issues.
“There was one day where a student said they had to go really bad and the pass was already out. So I was like, I’ll just take a weight,” Fitzgerald added. Moments like this show how hall passes play a significant role in regulating movement here at Hayfield.
Durability is another important factor teachers must consider. Kerri Shelfo, the orchestra teacher who uses a bridge from a violin as her pass, shared how the pass changed over time.
“Before this, I had a blue bow, but somebody broke it so we had to switch to the bridge,” Shelfo said. This highlights how student use can impact the design and lifespan of these passes.
For the science teacher, Jourdan Peratsakis, practicality is his main priority.
“I don’t think they enjoy using it, but I don’t think it’s really that hard to use,” Peratsakis explained. However, students sometimes misuse it. “I’ve had students fold it up into a taco and carry it in their pockets, and then they broke it.” Despite this, Peratsakis still believes the pass works well because it is lightweight and not too inconvenient to carry.
Overall, hall passes at Hayfield Secondary School are more than just objects. They reflect teacher creativity and identity, influence student behavior, and help maintain organization throughout the building. Whether simple or unusual, each pass shows how even the smallest details can contribute to the unique culture of the school.
