As McKinley High School returns to normal from COVID-19, Principal Ron Okamura is looking forward to the 2023-2024 school year.
To Okamura, having every student graduate is a big goal. He also hopes for every student to be safe and comfortable at school and believes that learning is a priority.
“This is our third or fourth year from COVID,“ Okamura said. “It’s a little bit more exciting, getting back to normal, having you folks getting back to the normal activities of being a high school student.”
This year’s freshman class has the fewest students because the age requirement for kindergarten was changed. Enrollment is about half the size of previous freshman classes. However, Okamura said the small class size is a positive thing.
“So far, my personal observation of this year’s freshman class is that it’s a really good class. They’re really tight,” Okamura said. “I guess that’s because of the small numbers. They want to get to know each other better.”
Okamura said he hopes another challenge like COVID doesn’t happen again, which dampened many things for the school and him. Okamura said he wants the students to have the best experience in high school as possible.
“You hope you have no challenges every year, but you know unfortunately things do pop up,” Okamura said. “As far as the challenges, like I said, getting everybody to graduate; getting everyone to pass their classes; getting everybody to go to their classes.”
Okamura said every class from freshman to seniors talks about the things they did in school every year. He said students should take advantage of everything and remember everything that happens this year because it will last them a lifetime.
“Most people think senior year is the longest, because it’s my last year. But you know in the blink of an eye it’s January, in the blink of an eye it’s May” Okamura said. “Things that you do now, in your senior year, will last a lifetime in memories.”
Okamura said students may say school life is boring and why should they finish their work and pass their classes, but in the long run they may look back and think that these were the best days of their life, especially when they reach the age where they are working and are thinking about fun times.
“Let’s have a good year, everybody get to class, do your work, pass. Seniors, hundred percent graduation,” Okamura said. “Enjoy your school life, these four years, enjoy every minute of it.”
