Community in the School of the Osage.
I walked around the high school to examine the culture of our school and what our past students have left to us. We should all look at what people want us to see and what they have cultivated for us. The things that they left behind make for an excellent environment, which allows us to be better for the future. It is safe to say that School of the Osage cares about its students. The counseling office ensures that all the students they see and those they do not have an excellent environment in which to learn and develop. While walking around the school, I noticed that the walls that line these halls show the culture here. A wall in the 600 hallway has the seniors’ handprints from 2017-2020. Their quotes and names show what they learned or want to leave behind for the incoming students.
Walking past that wall shows me that School of the Osage cares about the time it takes us to go through the grades and graduate. In another hallway, the seniors from 2021-present have all painted a brick where they can put a quote and draw a picture of something they want to leave behind. I made a brick this year where I put a bookshelf that shows how many books I have read this year. This wall makes it so we can be a part of something bigger than ourselves. As a freshman, I looked at this wall, and seeing everyone who came before me and succeeded was cool. It made me think I could make it, too, so I didn’t give up. These walls are the things that remind us all that people can do it, so we can, too. Also, the counseling office and the administration work together to enhance our community so that we can enjoy our time at school. A lot of the past seniors come back to show their love of this school and its students. I remember one of the past seniors who went into the Air Force Academy and came back to talk to us about what she had learned; she also spoke about what she learned being surrounded by people who share the same goals and mindset. She was passionate about forming a loving community, not just telling us to join the military. She told stories about her experiences at the academy and how she loved the community that she was brought into.
It is essential to take the time to look at past students and see what they have to say. It makes it so that we as a community can grow and develop into young adults, which would make School of the Osage happy. They take all this time to care for us and ensure we get the education we need. That way, we can lead a better life.
People should care about the community that they get to be a part of, that we are lucky to be a part of, and that was made to make us better people.
To close, I would like to put the School of the Osage’s mission statement: “SCHOOL OF THE OSAGE, in partnership with our students, families, and community. WILL EQUIP ALL LEARNERS to meet their maximum potential for a lifetime of success.” This means that the administration and the school staff strive to make the School of the Osage a better place for ALL.