Thursday, August 23, 2012

Raider Open House 

by Carlos Gomez

At some schools open house is just a night of familiarizing yourself with the school and the expectations for the development of the year, but that's not the Raider Way! How are we different? You may ask yourself. Well that's not difficult to show. This year under the incomparable leadership of our principal, Mr. Romero, the grand opening of our new building and a whole new set of standards that raises hope for a better academic and athletic year were all illustrated at the Open House for the 2012-2013 academic year. From class to class students rushed to explore every corner of the campus so that parents could be informed about what is expected from their sons/daughters this year so that they could serve as a tool in the learning process of their students. As Mr. Leaf has frequently said, "there ain't no frigate like a book, to take our lands away", reflecting his high expectations for his AP English Literature class. As parents learned from teachers, there are high expectations for every single student on campus and so a parent-teacher collaboration will be an evident advantage for the student body. As Mr. Jeffries would say, "ain't that the truth." This year was the grand opening of our new 1100 building which was approved by voters who favored Prop 0, which added funds for schools to use in expansion for the "benefit of the students". This high-tech building hosts English, Math and video tech classes as well as the new ASB office. The official opening took place with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Mr. Romero, SUHSD administrators and community guests; the moment brought about a feeling of joy and high hope for all the Raider community, because knowing that we have the potential in being the best school of the district, we can't fall short in our efforts for a fantastic year. The night went along with musical performances by the Wayfarers, cheer leading performances, and some amazing food provided by the school. Speaking in the popular word of the night "this was definitely a day to remember" not only for the students and parents but for the staff and community. We have to remember that being a Raider is not a option at SOH, because who we are (RAIDERS!) makes a difference. This was made clear during this years Open House.