Every year during in-service, our staff discusses building relationships. We talk about the importance of students being able to connect to their school and how that affects their willingness to be there and work hard.
There are so many different interests that it can be difficult for each student to find the place where they fit. During our last professional development days, we revisited this and discussed once again the connection between relationships and student success.
Many times I have seen a student who struggles at first and then finds a group that helps change their trajectory. Many of those success stories come from the Ag Shop. I love seeing students who can combine their skills and put together an amazing product at a welding competition. That is something you just don’t get to do until high school. Now, there are several weekends you can see a Rockdale ISD vehicle heading to a competition.
You have many other groups in which students can connect. Athletic teams, cheer squads, dance teams, band and our clubs and organizations have been a constant when it comes to kids connecting to a group. UIL academic competitions are another great example. There are several students eager to get that little extra help that will lead them to success in an academic area they are passionate about.
This year I am excited about the return of our One Act Play. The past few years, we have not had enough interest to sustain a production. This year we are able to compete and our theater classes continue to grow.
I am also excited about new clubs that have formed that are giving students another opportunity to connect. We have added an astronomy club this year that saw several students gather for their first stargazing party. We also have a board game club that gathers after school just to hang out and play games.
All of these give students another opportunity to connect to friends and RHS.
There is nothing more exciting than to see a student connect to their school through something they are passionate about.
Throughout the years we have had many constants and groups for students to connect to. However, there are still some students that do not have an interest in any of these groups. That is why this year is so exciting. We have added more groups/clubs and opportunities for students to connect to and for relationships to be established, ultimately leading to greater success for the students of RHS.
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