Making PHS number one

We’ve all heard that the goal for our school is to get to number one. We all know that we are better than just some arbitrary school ranking on some paper. However, we will all need to pull together, students, teachers and administrators, to get PHS to the top. We know that as individuals we have weaknesses, but together we are strong. It is the responsibility of each of us to do what we can for our school community.

Teachers get most of the focus, and from this student’s perspective there are some things they can do to make our learning easier and more rewarding. First, please stop giving packets all the time. They are usually exhausting and just not what students need to learn. Sometimes we just want to be instructed by a teacher and not just fill in a packet. Second, not all teachers complain, but those that do make learning so cumbersome. Stop complaining while giving notes. It is all just part of the job. Most teachers are great, but those that grumble all the time make the school environment just that much less inviting and difficult.

Support for students comes from guidance counselors. They are supposed to help us with our schedules and plan for our futures, and most do a great job. I wish some were a little more patient with students who want to do well, but just do not know how to go about it. When a student comes to a counselor with questions and needs to talk about our schedules please just listen to him or her. The few minutes that we as students get means so much. Don’t just say come back later (even if it is during class time). Make an appointment so that we know we have a time to have our concerns listened to. Some students need more guidance than others, please reach for us. We will eventually respond.

As for us students, we need to do the most. It sounds unfair, but this is all here for us. Who else was the school built for? Students need to stick up for themselves, and also do their part, to succeed. There are rules in place for a reason, even if we don’t like them, even if we disagree with them, we need to follow them. The school uniforms were put in place by our school board. They are here to stay. Fighting them now is only going to get us into trouble and make the day so stressful. So, just wear it properly. What are you trying to prove by putting your sweatshirt on after a teacher just told you to take it off anyway?

If you need help, ask for it! Teachers genuinely want to help and so asking for help you’ll get it. But you should be patient with teachers they have a lot of students and while you see ten teachers a day, they see hundreds of students. There is help here for all of those students who need it. As students we need to take advantage of everything that is here for us.

We also need to take care of our own business. This is the preparation for our lives. So don’t wait for someone to tell you what you need to do. Don’t wait for a teacher to remind you to complete a homework assignment, again and again, before you turn it in. Just do what you need to do. Remember, we are not in elementary school anymore, so teachers are not going to lead you by the hand through every single assignment. We are all old enough to know what we need to do and just do it. We are the ones who benefit from doing a good job anyway.

We should also take responsibility for our own education. There is a lot out there and teachers can’t teach us everything that we need to learn. We need to yearn for our own wisdom. Go to the library, surf the web for information.

No one makes the future but you. We are responsible for our own destiny. Now let’s make PHS number one and at the same time make ourselves great too!

By Lizett Garcia