Sebastian River High School partnered with community newspaper Hometown News Treasure Coast in the 2021-2022 school year to spotlight what life is like for our students. The following columns were published by our student authors.
“Grateful for School” by Marlie Smith, published Dec. 9, 2021
I am grateful for my school. I know, that is not something most teenagers would say when asked what they are most thankful for, but for me, this year is a significant milestone in my life. High school is stressful, especially your first year—the amount of new people you meet, all the new classes and teachers, the assignments and tests—it is a lot to take in. And it is even more stressful when you are grieving.
Read more here.
“Trees and Boats: Rowing Through the Holidays” by Kaylee Rompot, published Jan. 21, 2022
The holiday season is upon us. It is time to come together and celebrate. It’s time for tradition. One huge tradition that many families have around the holidays is to go out and buy a Christmas tree. Luckily, in our community we have the Sebastian River High School Rowing Team to support. Every year, the rowing team sells Christmas trees outside of the high school. Yet, many people don’t know the story behind the trees, like where they come from or what the students do with the money.
Read more here.
“Swimming with Sharks” by Syndey Anderson, published Feb. 25, 2022
Life is hard enough for high school students—waking up early, dealing with parents, assignments, tests, chores, household responsibilities, and even part- time jobs. As teens, we are all preparing for our adult life, and that switch from child to grown up is not only a reality check, but it is a tremendous transitional change. Now, imagine trying to do it all during a worldwide pandemic.
Read more here.
“We Heart Papa Swag” by Ansley Palmer, published April 8, 2022
I like to think all of us at Sebastian River High School are similar to a giant family. Granted, we are quite a dysfunctional one at times, but that’s just how the best families are. There are people that are there for you, people to challenge you, and people to care for you. One of those people was William Clark, the longtime substitute known affectionately to us students as “Papa Swag.” He died in August of 2021 at 73-years-old, and, as any good family would do, we honored his life with the best sendoff we could.
Read more here.
“Sharks Swim Together” by Dezarae Katzor, published April 15, 2022
Here at Sebastian River High School, us sharks swim together. Whether that be in the classroom, on a sports field, or even in a club, we know we are stronger together. Nowhere is that more evident than with athletics. For me, with the spring sports season well underway, my time as captain of the lacrosse team has served as a constant reminder that it’s more about the team than the sport.
Read more here.
Don’t Forget the Teachers” by Maddie Tatro, published May 6, 2022
Some students think of school as just a place they must go every day, but for me the word “school” is synonymous with home. School is where we spend most of our time during the week; it is like a part-time job. And, if school is like home, our teachers are like our parents. They create an uplifting and inspiring atmosphere. They make us feel not only welcome but wanted. They drive us to value success and see our own future potential.
Read more here.
“Change Not Survival” by Arron Engling, published….
It’s apparent that high school is romanticized. Every single piece of media I’ve ever seen about high school has dramatized it to the extent of being nearly unrecognizable; adding in common cliches and mediocre storylines that simply don’t fit in with reality. While this could be simply for entertainment purposes, it’s also no lie that entire generations of students have had their perspective of what school should be like warped because of these fictionalized, coming of age tales.
Read more here.
“I Need Teachers like These” by Ava Cluck, published…
There are no words for how thankful I am that I got good teachers for my last year of high school. I have been taught by the kindest, most patient teachers one could ask for. These teachers deserve only the best in life; I truly do believe they’ve made a great impact on my life. Throughout middle school and high school, I’ve met some great challenges. At times, the stressful subject matter gave me nightmares, made me cry, and stationed me in a scared, worrisome state that not only affected me, but my friends and family.
Read more here.
“Support for the New Kid,” by Katelyn Braun, published May 19, 2022
In November of this school year, I transferred to Sebastian River High School. I was terrified because I was moving to a new school in a new state in the middle of the semester. I didn’t know the town, I didn’t know the school, and the scariest part was, I didn’t know the people. The school had a completely different schedule than I was used to, and the campus was a whole lot bigger. A lot bigger meant a lot more people—people who I was afraid were going to judge me. I was, after all, the new girl.
Read more here.
