• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

The Official Student Paper of Riverside Poly High School

Students and staff experience P.R.I.D.E. spelled out

Sep 16, 2014

REVITALIZATION: Principal Dr. Michael Roe implements his plan for a school year filled with changes and upgrades as students regain ownership of their school.

By Matt Kaye, News Editor

In the start of his second year as principal, Dr. Michael Roe assured the entire student body that this school year will be like no other. Last school year, Roe commissioned a diverse group of students to define the P.R.I.D.E. acronym. He then used what the students produced to form the basis of the school’s mission statement and to exemplify the components that are at the core of every student.

Prior to the beginning of school, a revamped back-to-school night invited students and parents to see all of the ins and outs of the school’s operations. Out in the quad, every Poly group was present including all clubs, sports and teachers, equipped to explain who they are and answer any and all questions. Many families topped the night off with some food and watched the school assembly. Later, parents left their students to enjoy the back-to-school dance, a Poly first.

During the first week, teachers emphasized the P.R.I.D.E. acronym: Passion, Respect, Integrity, Determination and Extraordinary. Each day of the week represented one of the acronym’s five focuses, starting with Passion on Monday and finishing with an Extraordinary celebration on Friday. Teachers would go into each aspect of the P.R.I.D.E. acronym, detailing each word’s role in the class and integrating classroom tasks that coincide with the theme.

For Friday’s Extraordinary, the Pride Extravaganza ended the week, offering arcade games, food trucks and a carnival midway to hype students up. This entire week offered students a redesigned view of what to expect throughout the year.

Roe will continue to commit himself to all things Poly. “Anything I can do to celebrate a kid, no matter how small, anything I can do to celebrate a teacher, anything related to Poly that I can celebrate, I want to be all over that,” he explained.

What these initial weeks have brought us has certainly energized the student body, and maintaining that energy will be the next step. Now that the administration has shown its pride, Poly students will continue to show theirs.

Every student will strive to represent their school proudly with the full support of their principal. “Our whole message all along is really putting it back into [the students’] hands,” Roe said. The intent of Roe’s actions will be to give the students more control and provide them with the necessary support.

The school’s efforts caught the attention of the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson. His visit to the school involved the combined direction of administrators, teachers and, most importantly, students. Roe wanted to remind Torlakson who really brings pride to the school. “You [Torlakson] being here today had nothing to do with me. It had everything to do with the students that came and said ‘this is what should be represented here at Poly High School,’” Roe said.

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