As the school year draws to a close, students and faculty members alike are reflecting on the experiences and lessons learned over the past nine months. From academic achievements to personal growth, this school year has been one for the books. 

For students, this is a chance to look back on all the things they’ve learned and experienced, and to think about what they want to take with them into the next school year. For teachers, it’s a time to evaluate what worked well and what can be improved to make future students have an even better time. Resilience was one of the biggest themes of this school year. Students and teachers both have to adapt to new ways of learning and teaching in challenging circumstances. Whether it was dealing with things in or outside of school, or coping with the stress that is put onto students during the year, everyone in the school has had to dig deep to find new ways to keep going. 

But through it all, there are always moments of happiness and unification. Teachers found ways to teach differently, or implement new ideas to their classrooms to give the students a better experience. Whether it was creating new clubs or ideas like the Rochester High School chicken flock.  In many cases, the school community came together to support each other through funny senior pranks, showing up to sporting events, or even just having a fun time at school events. 

Looking back on the school year, there were definitely challenges and setbacks we all faced. But there were also moments of growth. As we move forward into the next school year, it’s important to take those lessons with us. We’ve learned that we can adapt to new circumstances and find ways to thrive even in challenging situations. We’ve learned that we’re stronger when we work together and support each other. Most of all we’ve learned that even in those difficult times, there can be moments of pure fun and happiness. 

Of course there are things that we can improve on next year. Whether it be struggling to focus, keeping up with a new school lifestyle as a freshman, or making new friends, these can always be achieved if you try. 

As we reflect on the past school year, it’s important to remember that we’ve come a long way. We’ve learned a lot about each other, ourselves, and what it takes to succeed. As we look forward to  next year, we can take those lessons and continue to grow.