by Perri Williams ’23

I’m convinced the perfect school does not exist. Whether the students have behavioral issues, the school needs a renovation, the teachers are burnt out, the students tired, or the parents are not involved, every school has its problems. Let me preface this by saying that these are not significant issues that I’ve seen at Sherwood, with the exception that the school building could use a makeover (but that is probably not going to happen for a long long time). When it’s all said and done, I’ve actually had a pretty pleasant Sherwood experience.

Excluding one teacher I had my freshman year, my teachers have all been kind, attentive, and worked to teach valuable lessons. I’m not sure if they meant to or not but their classroom lessons have allowed me to develop skills that I will likely use for the rest of my life. To name just a few teachers, English classes Mrs. Green, Mrs. Jasnow, and Mr. Huck together allowed me to develop the skills to write strong well developed essays. Mrs. Searles-Thompson worked countless hours helping me learn how to study for my exams along with how to advocate for myself in the classroom while also unknowingly showing me the importance of having adult mentors in my corner.

My point is that it’s easy to forget the adults in the school who make a big impact on your high school experience. Get to know your counselors and teachers. Really know the people around school that help make things run smoothly every single day. Say good morning to the women who work in the office when you walk into school late. If you pass by a service worker, say good afternoon. Most importantly, don’t forget to stay after class every once in a while to have a meaningful conversation with your teacher. You can learn so much through just a casual conversation.

Through the good and bad my teachers have helped to elevate my Sherwood experience. However, my senioritis has started kicking in, which is my sign to go. Sherwood is not perfect–no school is; however, a lot of people who work at Sherwood tried to make it as perfect as it could be for me.