Being the first to post on our new blog, I'm feeling a little pressure to say something profound. Sadly, no clever "sound bites" are floating around in my brain, so it might be best to write from my heart. I've been mulling around the question "What does it mean to have Royal Pride?" I know that there's no other place I'd rather teach. This is my 27th year in the district and I'm one of the few teachers who has taught in every secondary building in good old 833. That includes eight years at Park, four at Cottage Grove Middle, theater classes at the all of the junior highs, summer school at East Ridge, and night school at the ALC. However, the best decision I ever made was to become a Royal in 1999. I love our school.
When I came here, our principal was Dr. Dana Babbitt. Pep fests always ended with him shouting through a megaphone "GIVE ME a R-O-Y-A-L !!!!!!" The students responded with such pride. Later, I watched our football team win state at the Metrodome. It was so cool! (Of course, soccer, basketball, hockey, speech, robotics, music...we do it all well.) We cried together when we saw planes fly into the World Trade Center on 9/11. We stood by teachers who had cancer like Bonnie Dahl, Señor Sommer, me, and now Ms. Dease. We laugh at creative pranks like the young man who streaked across the football field. (Please don't do that one. Your mother will not be pleased.) We stand with pride on Veterans' Day when the band plays the various theme songs of the branches of the military honoring our family members who have served. And...we unite with enthusiasm when Mr. Bolin leads the Double Clap! "Clap-clap!!!"
One of the things that makes me proud to be a Royal is that our school was named one of the top ten high schools in Minnesota last year. Wow! Our students rank consistently high on the ACT. We score well on AP tests. We are usually best in the district on MAP and MCA's. Our students are awesome! Of course, we have teachers who are pretty awesome too! Here's the deal...the teachers here like each other. We're great friends and support each other in lots of ways in and out of school. We have the best support staff anywhere. Have you ever been greeted by Nancy Anderson in the principal's office or Deb Bandholz in counseling? Who could have a bad day with those two smiling at you?!
I am a Royal. I'm proud of that and tell folks my blood flows blue. Let's have a great year and make some Royal memories!
Marsha Swails or "Swailsie"
English Department
When I came here, our principal was Dr. Dana Babbitt. Pep fests always ended with him shouting through a megaphone "GIVE ME a R-O-Y-A-L !!!!!!" The students responded with such pride. Later, I watched our football team win state at the Metrodome. It was so cool! (Of course, soccer, basketball, hockey, speech, robotics, music...we do it all well.) We cried together when we saw planes fly into the World Trade Center on 9/11. We stood by teachers who had cancer like Bonnie Dahl, Señor Sommer, me, and now Ms. Dease. We laugh at creative pranks like the young man who streaked across the football field. (Please don't do that one. Your mother will not be pleased.) We stand with pride on Veterans' Day when the band plays the various theme songs of the branches of the military honoring our family members who have served. And...we unite with enthusiasm when Mr. Bolin leads the Double Clap! "Clap-clap!!!"
One of the things that makes me proud to be a Royal is that our school was named one of the top ten high schools in Minnesota last year. Wow! Our students rank consistently high on the ACT. We score well on AP tests. We are usually best in the district on MAP and MCA's. Our students are awesome! Of course, we have teachers who are pretty awesome too! Here's the deal...the teachers here like each other. We're great friends and support each other in lots of ways in and out of school. We have the best support staff anywhere. Have you ever been greeted by Nancy Anderson in the principal's office or Deb Bandholz in counseling? Who could have a bad day with those two smiling at you?!
I am a Royal. I'm proud of that and tell folks my blood flows blue. Let's have a great year and make some Royal memories!
Marsha Swails or "Swailsie"
English Department