School Started: Where does that leave the people of Redwood?

With the arrival of the 2021-2022 school year, Redwood students have been welcomed on-campus after 18 months of distanced learning.

The first day of school, Thursday August 12 brought excitement to students which shined throughout campus, although there was a catch.

In this new normal, masks were a part of the reality. Some students have not seen the inside of a classroom since the middle of seventh grade. Some students have not had a normal school year since sixth. Others missed their freshman year.

Returning back to school has definitely had its challenges, socially and mentally. Regardless of the obstacles that may come with the return, the overall emotion emitted towards on-campus learning has been joyful and positive.

Vincent Barba, ’25 could not be more satisfied with the back to school return. When asked what school means to him, Barba stated that school is about “learning… friendship… [and] freedom.”

Barba’s experience attending Redwood High School has been “pretty cool. [He’s] never been used to a campus this big, [with] a good environment. And meeting new people is really nice,” he states.

As the return has arrived with COVID regulations, Barba expresses his excitement towards returning to a new normal.

School impacts Barba’s life greatly on a day-to-day basis. He emphasizes, “School’s a pretty big deal because I’m always wanting to get good grades, and get into a good college. And I have to get good grades to get into a good college, so I really try hard in school.”

Devon McWilliams, ’24 describes school to be a very important part of her life. She states, “School literally means everything to me, because not only am I focused on academics, I also have my friends here- I have sports here.”

After being asked how the return has affected her mentality of physically attending classes opposed to online, McWilliams said, “I literally feel so much like a different person when I come to school. Not only am I more confident, I am more social- more happy.”

In a single word, she described the return as “refreshing.”

Not only has school influenced the lives of many teenagers academically, but socially too.

Natalie McDonnell, ’23 feels school impacts her life academically as well as personally. She says, “I’ve gained knowledge within the school and classroom environment that have not only benefited me academically, but have also made me a better person.”

To McDonnell, school is a place full of “learning and opportunities.” At this stage of her life, high school has made her develop an open-mind to explore what she is passionate about.

The on-campus setting has brought a sense of normality within the ordinary school year culture, as mentioned by McDonnell. She states, “Personally, I’ve enjoyed being able to see people, and get my life up and running again. It’s nice to see the campus coming to life with all of the students present now.”

Eric Chavez, ’22 is pleased with the return as he feels, “being able to connect with my peers and teachers has been most beneficial for my last year at RHS.”

While being involved with AVID, Chavez is able to talk with his classmates, and friends about colleges and scholarships, following his graduation this year. With the opportunity to be back in-person, Chavez says, “I feel I learn better in-person, being able to meet with others and collaborate ideas.”

Although, he took the absence from ordinary school [quarantine] as a positive. Chavez found that the challenge of being at home allowed him to “learn how to manage school independently.” He adds, “Overall, I am glad to be back on campus, and happy to finish my senior year in-person.”

As Redwood students share the pleasure of returning to school, teachers couldn’t be any more grateful with the return.

Mrs. Bettencourt, is a chemistry teacher here at Redwood, as well as an alumnus. In regards to teaching at Redwood, she says, “it’s awesome to carry on traditions that the school has, and to know that you are leading the next generation of students and leaders in your community.”

Throughout the process of returning back to classroom settings, Bettencourt realized how much she enjoys being around her students.

After almost 18 months of distanced learning, Bettencourt “loves being back.” Returning with her students is something that she dearly appreciates.

During last year’s at-home setting, Bettencourt explained how she learned so much about herself in terms of “teaching… helping students through difficult times… [and] technology.”

Bettencourt adds, “It’s a learning experience, you have to take everything as a learning experience,” when describing the return to school.

Similar to Bettencourt, Mr. Miller, journalism and an AP Literature teacher at Redwood is fulfilled by seeing kids again, opposed to black screens on Zoom.

As the journalism teacher, Miller enjoys telling Redwood stories. Among those Redwood stories is his own. When asked how the return has made him feel, he used the word “rusty.”

With the change of pace, Miller states, “It’s really nice to have culture back; it’s made my life a lot richer.”

In a single word, Miller described school as “energizing.” He adds, “The energy of young people is infectious. People my age just fall down, and they just want to stay there. Kids- when they fall down, when something happens, they’re like, ‘okay how can I change this, or how can I do it differently,’ and I like that.”

Tags: back to school, Donya Hassanshahi, in-person learning, opinion, rangers, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, visalia ca