Why Thompson Falls High School stands out to me

[Editor’s note: Bennette King is the first of three finalists who took part in the Valley Press Reporters Contest. Each finalist was awarded $50 sponsored by Jay Knopp Pro Rodeo Announcing & Auctioneering USA as well as a calendar donted by No Holds Barred Australia.]

What makes Thompson Falls High School stand out?

For me, it is the phenomenal sense of community amongst both staff and students.

Coming from a school that had approximately 2,000 students, I was very used to passing people I didn’t know in the halls.

It was almost inevitable that upon graduation I would have only known about a third of my graduating class.

The classes were so packed that the teachers barely knew any of our names. School in general was very impersonal.

Coming to TFHS was a shock, in the sense that everyone seemed to know each other. The classes are smaller, allowing the teaching to be much more fitted to each students’ academic needs.

We often get to learn through conversation, instead of hours upon hours of lectures. Students get a much better chance to bond with each other, and grow strong relationships amongst ourselves.

The community is much more tightly knit, allowing for closer friendships with each other.

Because of the smaller number of students, relationships between staff and students are much better than that of the other two schools I have attended.

I can honestly say that my relationships with teachers are better and much more personal than any other I have experienced in my academic years. It makes learning much more interesting, and it feels nice to be greeted by name when you walk into class or even through the halls.

Many teachers back home didn’t seem to care about students individually, and it is quite obvious that this is not the case here.

The coaches, athletic director, and administrative staff are also very friendly. They care about each and every student as an individual.

Learning is greatly improved be the sense of community at TFHS; If I ever need help on a subject there are many opportunities for me to visit my teachers. They’re always happy to help.

It’s much more acceptable to ask for my peers help in understanding something than it was back home. It seems like everyone’s always ready to help, just as long as you ask for it.

In the classroom we have many more opportunities to ask questions and give answers, which I think is very important for retaining information.

We get to be a lot more involved in each lesson, and the teachers can help us with our own personal learning needs as a student.

The sense of community surpasses that of just the high school, and extends to the junior high and elementary schools as well.

The strong mentorship program where everyday, students from TFHS travel to the lower school and help teach the kids not only information for their education; but help teach them good study habits along with communications skills and work ethics.

This is truly important for the inner school community because it eases the kids’ transitions into the high school setting, as well as teaching them important skills they need to have.

It also allows the high school students to learn more about how to help other people. It can help us to improve upon the same things we would like to teach the younger Bluehawks.

There are many different reasons that TFHS stands out from other schools, but I think that the tight knit sense of community is one of the most important ones.

Without a strong community relationship, all we get out of school is information; but with community we get experiences we will remember for the rest of our lives.