#1STUDENTNWI: Lowell High School students ditch traditional backpacks for a day

#1STUDENTNWI: Lowell High School students ditch traditional backpacks for a day

What’s Recently Happened:

Walking the halls during the passing periods at Lowell High School (LHS) on Wednesday, Feb. 9 was definitely a memorable time for students. As they made their way from class to class, peers walked past them with cat carriers, Easter baskets, Barbie cars, and even wagons which were hauling their typical school supplies.

Anything but a Backpack Day

Wednesday’s “Anything but a Backpack” day was a part of LHS’ annual winter spirit week, which takes place the week leading up to the winter turnabout dance on the coming Saturday. Other spirit days included pajama day, Hawaiian vs. snow day, pink out, and Red Devil Pride (RDP) day. 

This year’s spirit week was very successful and received a lot of positive feedback from students. Having a week to dress up in fun outfits and see classmates do the same definitely created an exciting buzz surrounding the dance that was approaching on that Saturday.

Although every day throughout the week had a successful participation turnout, “Anything but a Backpack” day was definitely the most successful, let alone the students’ favorite. 

“I felt that anything but a backpack day was a super cool and new way for people to get creative during spirit week. I loved seeing how much fun people were able to have with it. Super fun day,” LHS junior Raegan Bretzinger said.

The conversation about the wacky day didn’t stop there. Every class was filled with conversations of the craziest “backpacks” each student saw that day. These objects included full-size toolboxes, seed spreaders, slow cookers, coolers, traffic cones, mini fridges, and shopping carts. 

The turnabout dance itself was also a success. Students looked their best and had a great time on the dance floor Saturday night. The week was definitely one to remember. 

What's Coming Up: 

Now that turnabout is said and done, LHS upperclassmen are already getting excited about this year’s prom. The school recently released the official date and location of the event, starting the conversations between juniors and seniors of the most looked forward to nights of their high school career.

Lowell’s prom will take place on April 23, 2022 at Saint Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Time and additional details will be announced at a later date. 

The dance is an upperclassmen event, and only juniors and seniors are allowed to attend. However, guest endorsement forms will soon be available for outside guests who are not older than 20 years of age and not a current junior or senior. 

LHS is looking forward to creating many long-lasting memories at this year’s prom. Let the dress shopping and promposals begin!

Staff Spotlight:

While walking down the science and math hallway at LHS, you can always count on seeing the welcoming and smiling face of beloved LHS Science Teacher Shannon Smith ready to brighten your day in any way she can.

Science Teacher Shannon Smith

Smith grew up in Lowell and attended Tri-Creek schools. She’s been teaching at LHS for 17 years now, and is certainly loved and appreciated by all of her students. She currently teaches Honors Chemistry, AP Chemistry, and Earth Science classes. 

Smith says her favorite thing about being a part of the LHS community and staff is the caring nature of everyone at the school. She said the people in LHS radiate a genuine concern for each other on a daily basis. The family aspect at the school is what makes it so welcoming and supportive.

Many of Smith’s students are proud to call her their favorite teacher. She makes it clear that her main priority is to make her students enjoy learning and always have smiles on their faces. Whether it’s by cracking jokes or checking in with her students one-on-one, Smith never fails to have and encourage a positive attitude in her classroom. 

Students have gone out of their way to show their love and care for Smith. She recalls these acts of kindness and appreciation as her fondest memories at LHS.

“My dad passed away last year in April. I was having a hard time focusing and was obviously grieving," Smith said. "When I returned to school, I was presented with gift cards for places to eat because I had mentioned how dad would drop off dinners at my house. I was also given a card signed by all the members of the group that had contributed to this gift, a conglomeration of current and former students. That gesture of kindness meant so much."

Student Spotlight: 

Sophomore Alex Delgado definitely knows what it means to get involved and make a difference as a Red Devil. As a member of L-club and the softball, volleyball, and basketball teams, she is the definition of showing and displaying Red Devil Pride and has made the absolute best out of her high school career so far. 

Sophomore Alex Delgado

Being a three-sport athlete is no doubt stressful and time consuming, but Delgado has learned how to handle her academics and athletics at the same time, while still maintaining good grades and a contagious smile and positive attitude. There's no doubt she’s a proud LHS student. 

“Something that makes me proud to be a Red Devil is the way we can all come together and support one another with the achievements we have accomplished," Delgado said, "Especially in our sports programs, we can celebrate different milestones we reach and the support of the community we have is incredible. This is something that I think positively separates us from other schools. Since we are such a small town, seeing just about everyone come to show their individual support is really enjoyable."

Delgado says her hope for her future is to go to a local four-year college and get involved with physical therapy and sports medicine. CTE classes at LHS like biomedical science and human body systems are helping her prepare for her future career and goals. She also mentions that former LHS biology teacher Randy Bays made a big impact on her high school career and passion for sciences. 

“He always found a way to make activities fun and enjoyable. He was a teacher who would be there for you and to make you laugh. His honors biology was an experience and it definitely helped me get a good start to my high school career," Delgado said.

Delgado’s advice for her peers and incoming high school students is to stay on top of work and don’t be afraid to ask for help or guidance from staff. Using time wisely is extremely important in high school and will pay off in the long run.