From the Principal’s Desk: October’s Improvement

By Ayla Ozturk

Mr. Matt Shin is Redwood High School’s Principal. He has new perspectives of Redwood with its struggles and improvements in October 2021.

Redwood is still experiencing a lot of tardies, but Shin says students have been “more punctual” in getting to class. He is hoping that attendance will continue to improve.

The amounts of school spirit and student involvement are flourishing. From attendance at home football games to clubs starting to get involved in school activities, Shin says that it’s “positive school spirit” and “a good thing”.

He feels that student involvement and school spirit bring a positive “school culture and climate” to Redwood.

The notorious Cowhide is today, and Shin couldn’t be more excited.

Shin says, “I’m super excited. Cowhide always brings about a reminder of what great traditions we have here at Redwood, it brings everybody into being focused on Redwood.”

Shin loves Cowhide week because “it brings everybody closer”. He thinks that students missed Cowhide “tremendously” last year due to COVID-19.

He says Cowhide is an important part of our school culture and climate and that it makes the campus “lively” and students excited to come to school.

Among the positive things, there are always struggles that come with running a school.

Bad air quality days have been a struggle, they have affected P.E classes and sports practices.

There were multiple days when the air quality was at a hazardous level, one of which reached an AQI of 500.

“That [string of bad air quality days] was a scary time. It affected kids from coming to school so that that was a tough, tough time.” Shin states.

The continuance of COVID-19 and the quarantines that came with it also posed a struggle for Shin.

He says the biggest struggle when students and teachers are out is “making sure their needs are met” with substitute teachers and likewise.

Shin expresses, “The weather’s changed, so the air quality is better. The reduction and number of cases of COVID-19 are going down in our county, we’re seeing fewer quarantines happening, that’s a good thing, and we just hope that it continues.”

In November Shin wants “to make sure kids that are on track academically, continue to excel, and that we get more academic excellence here at Redwood”.

One major event in VUSD planned for the coming months is the replacement of Mr. Crabtree’s seat in Trustee Area 4. Shin thinks that this is a “positive thing.”

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