On the last night of 2022 as the sparkly hour awaits, close friends and family gather to watch the ultimate New Year’s ball drop in Time Square. Reflections of the past year are running around your mind and you wonder how you’re going to go into this new year. The clock ticks down at 11:55pm 5..4..3..2..1.. Happy New Year! Resolutions are a tradition that awaits every New Year for people to change, adopt new habits, and accomplish personal goals to better themselves. 

    This year Reynolds is emphasizing making it the place where everyone wants to be. Our own school has many resolutions going into the 2023 year. 

     “I want our approach and perspective around what school is and what it should be to be an anchoring point for us,” Principal Calvin Freeman said. “We want kids to want to be in school. I want staff to want to be at work. I want us to want to do well and do everything that we can do. Just to continue to move forward and make our place the place where everyone wants to be.” 

    Academics this year are also a growing goal by getting students to focus on learning and giving effort as well as trying to get more students to attend school.

    “We are more attentive to the academic piece this year,” Freeman said. “You know last year we were really just trying to be attentive to getting folks in school and reacclimating with school.” 

     Coming up this year, there will be more appreciation and celebrations for students’ accomplishments more often!

     “I want us to celebrate as much as we possibly can,” Freeman said. “Often we talk about everything that’s wrong inside of a school. I definitely want the focus and emphasis to be on what’s right in schools. We’re intentional around celebrations. We are having celebrations more frequently.”     

    As with going into the 2023 school year, students are hoping to get back into more of a fun and social school year.

    “I think we should have more school spirit assemblies and to do more activities as a group of a school,” junior Vivian Swaim said. 

    A new year doesn’t mean an immediate change. Mixed feelings surrounding RJR students entering school again are in the air. 

    “I feel nervous, I feel tired, and I feel excited,” junior Hannah Dickerson said. 

    The push to finish up the first semester and then soon embark on the second semester is the perfect time for resolutions to begin. So, what are some of the students’ resolutions going into the new year?

    “Well, I plan on making more friends, motivating myself to get more work done and try my very best,” Dickerson said. 

    Though the only way to achieve these resolutions is the willingness for students to complete them.

   “I’m going to get more sleep,” Dickerson said. “I’m going to stop procrastinating! I’m going to attend all my classes that I possibly can to focus on my school work.” 

   This year is the year to be Reynolds Ready because new year means new you! Develop healthy habits and don’t give up on your own personal goals… start with small goals and build up! It can be hard to be motivated during school but stay positive and prioritize yourself while keeping up with school.