At the beginning of every year students receive a personalized planner from the school. As the year continues students either lose their planners, leave them at home, or in their locker. And eventually don’t think about them at all. Some students that do have paper planners bought their own to use instead. While most students rely on Veracross to help them with their schedule, and to organize their homework. So is it really necessary for the school to print out hundreds of copies planners? Or are is the SPA community taking the planners for granted?

When asking multiple students about their planners most of the answers consisted of “I lost that on the first day of freshman year” said junior Sydney Therien, and “Mine’s in my locker somewhere” said freshman Ben Hanson, or “I bought my own planner this year so I didn’t need it,” sophomore Marie Longe said.  

All the students at SPA receive computers, and most lists and schedules are technological. With Veracross’ convenience, the planner feels unnecessary and not needed. With hundreds of planners being made for all the students and not many being used, is it not a waste of paper make so many?

Even though a lot of teachers use planners, it is a lot more common to see students carrying their own smaller planners, rather than the SPA one.

“I like the layout of my own personal planner then the SPA one. There is a lot more room in mine, and a lot more useful things, like a note section, on each day there are times listed, and I overall feel a lot more organized using that one,” sophomore Mia Schubert said.

Even though the vast majority do not use the planner there are a few that do. Quite a few teachers write down when they will be meeting with students, and when they have meetings. Some students use it to write down their homework assignments.

“I find it super helpful to use the paper planner, instead of having to shift through windows on my computer, I can see my entire schedule on one page. It is a lot less time consuming. When planning make up days or meetings with students I have realized that they can determine a time to meet a lot faster than if they look on Veracross,” US Math teacher Amber Armstrong said.

The SPA provided planners do have valuable information on them. They leave space in every class box to write down homework assignments. But it does provide a way to look at an entire week on one piece of paper. As well as a place to manually write down assignments that teachers and students cannot forget.

The advantage of the personalized planners should not be lost by community members. But if the planners are not being used by most students and being put to waste. There should be a more eco friendly way to distribute the planners.  So what is the solution? An email could be sent out asking students and faculty if they want a planner, if they respond yes then a planner can be made for them. Another option is to get rid of the planner all together and put the information on a different and more easily accessible site. Either way a new form of sending out planners and using them is necessary for the SPA community.