Pink sticky notes cover the whiteboard while stacks of paper line the edge of the desk occupying the Door 1 office. Only Dan Farlik knows the workings behind this organized chaos, a system that has proved efficient for him since he joined Chris Duncan and Donald Hantson as a third dean of students.

“He’s doing a great job,” said Duncan, who expressed a high regard for his co-worker in choosing September’s Dean of the Month.

In the past, Farlik taught General Constitution at Huntley High School, but is excited about his new position. He especially enjoys talking to all the students and getting to learn more about how they work individually. He said that so far, the behavior students have shown has been great, and Hantson and Duncan are of the same mind.

The freshmen have been “exceptional” according to Hantson, who is assigned specifically to the Freshman Academy. With very supportive parents, a cooperative group of teachers, and only minor incidences arising in students’ behavior, everything is running smoothly in the west wing. The same goes for the rest of the school, regardless of a few policy changes. 

In addition to hiring a new dean, a significant modification was made in regard to tardiness. Different from previous years, the first tardy includes a phone call home while the second constitutes a 30-minute detention.

“[We are] trying to instill the promotion that we want kids in class,” said Duncan.

He believes the change is serving its purpose to stop abuse of the tardy concept and address the problem sooner. Hantson agrees, noting how students are able to realize the severity of the problem before it gets out of hand.

“A tweak here, a tweak there,” said Farlik, referring to the idea that there are always improvements to be made. Farlik explains how he and other staff members looking over the handbook during the summer make adjustments in order to find what works best.

“Sometimes new can be good,” said Farlik.

The deans are all breathing a sigh of relief now that the school year is well on its way, and they are confident students can keep it up.

“I expect good things out of students,” said Farlik with a smile.

He knows Huntley High School has a great group of students, and with just a little effort, performance can only improve.