At the beginning of the year, I was struck with the common cold. Not a big deal, it is something I have experienced on multiple occasions. There are times when I am sick that I require tissues to blow my nose. It was not until I was in class when I asked to go to the bathroom to get a tissue for my nose – my teacher does not supply tissues – that she said that it is the responsibility of her students to bring their own tissues.

   I understand her point: teachers have to supply their own tissues in class if they want to have them readily available for their students. It comes out of the teacher’s paycheck, which can be a costly expense; a twelve pack of tissues ranges from $24.99 at CostCo to $36.38 on Amazon. 

   Tissues should be supplied to classrooms by the district. During cold and allergy season, it is important to have the resources students need in the classroom. If a student needed a glue stick, the teachers would let the student borrow a glue stick. Providing the materials needed ensures a happy, healthy learning environment. 

   Principal Richard Nash realizes the lack of available tissue is a problem. “I believe like you believe,” Nash said, “This is a personal necessity, not an ancillary object to an instructional space.” Nash compared tissue paper in the classroom to toilet paper in the bathroom. Because we have already budgeted for this school year, we simply cannot fit tissues this year. However, next year, Nash and his leadership team plan to make sure that it is available to students in every classroom. “There is no reason it should not exist,” Nash said.

   Nash urges students to come to him with campus concerns, like the tissue issue. He said he and his staff will address the ones they can.. “We’re not at a place where we are going to continue to do things that are not right for our students,” Nash said. He emphasized that  if students and staff work together to talk about things on campus that could be improved, we can achieve greater things, as a united campus.