This school year was eventful, to say the least. From the turbulent times to the great successes, we are grateful to be closing out the school year on a positive note. Though we faced many challenges and undeniable chaos, the year is closing out with light.
In August, we started the school year off with uncertainty.
Since the pandemic, this was the first school year without hybrid days. It was proposed that school dances and events would return and, eventually, the mask mandate would be raised.
We set out to accomplish a lot this year in the name of getting back to “normal.”
In this journey, we’ve seen waves of Covid cases, cancellations of events, unexpected virtual days and many more detours on the road to success.
To be completely honest, we weren’t sure what to expect from 2022. The year did not have the best beginning; Covid cases were on the rise, we had lost great people, like actress Betty White, “Kimye” was coming to an end. As a whole, the world felt close to falling apart.
For lack of a better term, 2022 began as a train wreck.
But, although it may have appeared this way, we took our issues in stride and turned this year around.
There was more good than bad.
We must look back on 2021-2022 as a triumphant year. Even with obstacles such as the pandemic and community tensions, we were provided with incredible opportunities to thrive academically and socially.
Every step of the way, administration, student government, student council and many more organizations have worked overtime to make the most of this year.
School events were able to make a successful comeback since the pandemic. We hosted an amazing homecoming pep-rally and dance, as well as both junior and senior prom. And let’s not forget about our school sport events, the glow volleyball tournament, fall play, spring musical, Art & Soul, the prom fashion show, district chorus, Special Olympics and so much more.
Sports returned and so did the spectators, our jazz and marching bands were able to continue competitions and our school was able to get back to hosting the events that had been pre-pandemic traditions.
Not to pat ourselves on the back, but The Arrowhead was also able to go from being completely online during the pandemic to once more printing six full-color, 32-page issues.
This, while largely due to the amazing staff that we have had the pleasure of working with this year, would not have worthwhile without our amazing readership.
Through the pandemic, even when we couldn’t print, we still found such incredible support from the staff, students and administration at Souderton.
You’ve helped us along every step of the way, whether it’d be reading our online edition or following our social media.
Thank you, truly. We couldn’t have made it through without you.
Yes, getting through the school year has been difficult for all students, teachers and staff alike. However, after all that was said and done, this school year should be categorized as a memorable time.
Coming from where we began, having lived a year and a half in fear and uncertainty, this year was more than we could have hoped for. And this success did not come easy. It took a lot of hard work and collaboration across our community to pull off what we did.
It took students and staff practicing safe measures when the pandemic threw us another curve ball. It took countless volunteers and donations to get our activities up and running once more.
With all of this, we know that you’re tired. We are too. We recognize that burnout was overly prevalent these past few months. Throughout and between each block of the school day, we each shared conversations that voiced our struggles of tiredness and frustration.
Some of us took an extra sick day. Some of us replaced our first and fourth blocks with a nonexistent “priv.” Some of us still have stacks on stacks of missing assignments. But we’re here. We made it.
This was no small feat. No matter how much support we offered one another, it took a lot of individual work to get here. That accomplishment is all yours.
You did it. You played an extremely important role in pulling this year off.
Whether you helped run a club, plan an event, participate in a sport or even just came to class when you didn’t want to, it’s because of the strength in our community and school that we made it to the end.
It can be easy to reflect on this year and think of only the negative occurrences.
From our Souderton bubble all the way out to the universe, we faced political tensions, environmental issues, pop culture drama and burnout.
This is why we urge our community to look at this year through rose-colored glasses. Time goes by pretty fast, and we hope everyone was able to take the time to stop and smell the roses.
In 10, 20, 30 years, we will be able to say “I made it through all of that.”
Until next year, The 2021-2022 Arrowhead Editorial Board.