Studying and socializing in the New Year

The holiday break is over, and after a relaxing few weeks spent with friends and family, the students and faculty of Lawrence High School have come back to find that half of the school year has already melted away.

Before we know it, we’ll be saying our goodbyes to one another and cleaning out our lockers in anticipation of either college or the next semester. In the meantime, we resolve to make this new decade even better than the last one by bringing renewed energy into our studies and extracurriculars.

This revitalized focus is indeed something we’ll all be needing in the next few weeks as midterms and Regents exams approach. Whether they take advantage of extra help sessions after school, form study groups outside of class, attend the Regents review sessions offered by the school on weekends, or rely on online resources to supplement their course work, students will likely be putting in extra effort to ensure that they perform well on these upcoming examinations. Certainly, with help from our caring and capable teachers, we will be able to achieve the high scores that we desire.

As we continue to strive for excellence in our academic lives, we are also working on improving our interactions in our social circles. The Social and Emotional Learning program at Lawrence High has been doing monthly lessons in the classrooms to help students become more emotionally intelligent. So far we’ve been taught the value of having self respect, listening to others, and finding ways to deal with stress. Throughout the course of the year, we look forward to learning more about ourselves and the ways we interact with each other through these lessons.

The new year will no doubt bring many changes into our lives, but the support we will get from our faculty and fellow students as we navigate each day will be invaluable in helping us weather these changes. As Lawrence High School helps us develop both our study skills and our social skills, we will be able to succeed in every aspect of our lives moving forward.