DC is home to numerous schools, each with different rules, academics, and student lifestyles. After a lifetime of curiosity about life outside DCPS, I decided to interview students from St. John’s College High School to find out, is the grass really greener?
Upon entering the building, students are met with security, but no metal detectors—already a big difference from Jackson-Reed. St. John’s starts at 8:10 am and finishes at 2:20pm. If a student is late to school three times, they receive detention. “I got detention once my freshman year, “a St. John’s student said. “I’m still mad about that.” Detention for tardies? Never heard of it. Thank God.
Another big difference, many St. John’s students drive to school. As someone who commutes via public transportation, it’s hard to imagine navigating a crowded parking lot at the crack of dawn—especially if I’m already running late. When asked if there have been any accidents, junior Katherine Wales told me, “The other day, somebody ran straight into a brick wall.” Luckily she clarified that there were “never any injuries.”
The least relatable attribute of a St. John’s student is the discipline they have when it comes to their phones. JR is almost a month into using Yondr pouches to curb phone use, resulting in a largely disgruntled student body. But the St. John’s phone ban is not a new policy. Junior Gisele Zayets confirmed, “We don’t have Yondr pouches. You just turn your phone completely off and place it in your bag every morning.” Students cannot access their phones during the school day, including at lunch. When investigating the best way to talk to friends during school, I gathered that emailing and the message feature on Zoom are go-to methods.
When it comes to lunch, St. John’s has a wider array of options than we do. First off, the school has vending machines. The lunchroom includes different stations. The dining hall consistently has french fries, pizza, hamburgers, chicken nuggets, and wraps—along with two soda machines.
Though the food reviews were positive, meals cost around $7-10. The lines can be up to 20 minutes long, so many students just bring their own lunch. Sounds familiar.
Another major difference: dress code. At St. John’s, students have specific uniforms that vary by season. Students generally don’t mind the dress code. One even remarked, “I actually like that I don’t have to put effort into thinking about what I’m going to wear each day”.
Above all, what really stood out at St. John’s was the homework policy. Instead of our typical 11:59 pm due date, work is due at 8:10am. Students are usually given two nights per assignment, with a similar class schedule to our system.
Better lunch. Parking lots. Vending Machines. No stress about a midnight deadline. On top of it all, St. John’s boasts an impressive 100% graduation rate. Perchance the grass is, in fact, greener?•