Strengthening the school environment starts with YOU

Taft+High+seniors+participate+in+tug-of-war+during+the+Day+of+Welcome.+Cecily+Bonton%2C+Jade+Gessel%2C+and+Graciela+Mendoza+are+pictured+in+front.+

Jonah Armstrong

Taft High seniors participate in tug-of-war during the Day of Welcome. Cecily Bonton, Jade Gessel, and Graciela Mendoza are pictured in front.

These are the first weeks of school here at Taft High School. Teachers are passing out assignments, freshmen are getting used to their schedules, and seniors are preparing for their future. As usual, there’s repetitive days filled with learning and memorizing information to improve our future as students, but what else is there? Monday through Friday, for eight hours, we as students are learning, but how about the place we’re learning from? What is it like and how are the people? Students were able to give some insight on their wildcat perspective. Hannah Cox, a senior here at Taft high expressed, “There’s always room for improvement. I feel we should better ourselves and others”.

Another senior, Dawson Lopez said, “For the most part school is good. You have to make the most of it because you don’t get a lot of it. The kids here are okay but I feel we need to work on attitude on helping each other. We need to be kind and not rude.” A big welcoming was given at the beginning of the school year. For students, school spirit is important and usually the most memorable when it’s the people around you here at the campus.

This year, a new addition to the school is Jordi Arrufat, an foreign exchange student from Spain. Arrufat’s also a senior here at Taft High and he says, “All the people talk to you and ask how you are. So yeah, I like this school”. When asked about how the school and the people John Thomas Weber a freshman explained, “Some people are welcoming at Taft High. Most of the people were nice but some are rude and the teachers are nice and the school is fine”.

The students feedback was a mix depending on who was asked and how each has been treated by being at this school. The comments by the students inform us where we are and what we as a school should push towards. Positivity and kindness is valued and brings people together in unison. At our school, we should take note that we are here for the same reason so, why make it harder on others? School should be the place where students feel safe and can learn without adversities. It doesn’t hurt to be kind, or at the very least, say hello. It starts with you. So far, it looks like we are doing a good job.