Forum is currently grappling with the following five issues.

  1. Policy work: While student representatives want to add more flexibility to due dates, Paul Menge explains how the faculty “works with students to manage their workload, which can include granting extensions. On the other hand, Blake is a college preparatory school, and in the college setting extensions are rarely offered, simply to help students manage their workload.” In other policy news, Forum wants to emphasize that all posters must be approved by an administrator before being hung.

   2. Winterfest: To add fun to a dreary winter, a day is in the works that would include bake sales and sporting events. Date TBD. In the future, all food, whether for Winterfest or otherwise, will be sold exclusively in the Senior Lounge.

  3. School improvements: A rooftop lounge, which is “out of reach for Forum’s $1,200 budget this year” according to John Mullan ‘16, may be replaced with tutor programs or space for working with department chairs if enough students are interested. Sam Gelb ‘18 is scoping out the new online grading system called Canvas. Gelb also wants to initiate changes in the detention program.

   4. Academic dishonesty: An increase in cases of cheating may warrant elevated levels of precaution. Following Deborah Weiss’s example, Forum may begin to require academic honesty signatures before all tests.

     5. Student engagement: Forum is working to ensure a top-notch yearbook for the 2015-2016 school year. Plans for a grade meeting so that Forum can keep in touch with students is underway.

     For more information, look at the minutes on Forum’s Moodle page.