Sup with the Sup

3 days ago

Episode 7: Independence with Rhianna Russell

Welcome everyone to the next episode of Provo City School District's “What's Up With The Sup” podcast. I am Superintendent Wendy Dau. We have a great episode this week. I am talking with Rhianna Russell, a student at Independence High School. She will be talking about all of the great programs and opportunities at Independence High School, as well as talking about her Native American heritage. I will also be talking with Principal Jacob Griffin, who will discuss with us why Independence might be a great option for many of our students here in Provo City School District. But first, we can't forget our updates. Here we go. * September 15th through October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month. I hope you will stay tuned for a future podcast episode where we talk with one of our LIA groups at one of our secondary schools. * A reminder that the contest for students to design a find your swing pin is officially here. Students can submit their best artwork representing the find your swing theme from the book, The Boys in the Boat, to have a chance to have their design be on the pin. Artwork can be turned into the student's school's main office by Wednesday, December 13th, 2023. * This is the last week to apply for free and reduced lunch meals for school. This process needs to be completed annually within the first 30 days of school. If you have questions about how to do this, please contact our child nutrition department or visit our district website where we have a step-by-step guide on how to apply. * The next school board meeting will be an all day meeting on Friday, September 29th. Meetings like this are all day study sessions and they allow the school board to discuss items in a little more detail. * The meetings are open to the public and broadcast on YouTube. * The Foundation's Links for Kids Golf Tournament will be held on September 28th. If you are interested in participating, please visit foundation.provo.edu. And you might find me riding around in a golf cart on that date if you want to come and hang out. * Weekly video cast from the superintendent every Friday. Look forward to one coming this Friday. And now a shout out to United Way. They sponsored our day of caring and provided several different projects at different schools. Some of which were fixing up playgrounds. Others were volunteering in classrooms. We just very much appreciate our great relationship with the United Way here in Provo City School District. Also a shout out to student Eliza Doxey. She is a Timpview high school senior and student body president, and she is America First Credit Union's scholar athlete. And now let's get to our podcast for today. Our guest today is Rhianna Russell. She is an 11th grade student at Independence High School. She is active in the community with Indigenous and Native American events. She may be a little bit shy, but she also has a lot of important things to say, and to share with us. She has participated in sports and other groups at Independence. She is very thoughtful and thinks deeply about things. Last year, she and another student worked hard on a podcast on an issue that was important to her and to her Native American community. We also have Jacob Griffin, who is Independence High School's principal. He is the one that connects us with Rihanna Russell, and has some great insights as to why Independence High School might be a great choice for many students. Wendy: Thank you and welcome Rihanna to our podcast. Rhianna: Thank you. Wendy: So first, tell us about your experiences in school prior to you coming to Independence High School. Rhianna: Okay, so at Provo High, my number one struggle was going to class and being there every day. And the number one reason why it was hard for me to show up to class was because I'm a very anxious person and it's pretty hard for me to be around a lot of people and to socialize and stuff like that. Wendy: Was it, um, like in the hallways it was really a struggle or even in classrooms because there were just a lot of students? Rhianna: Both, but mostly the hallways. Wendy: Yeah, that's really hard when there's just a ton of students. Rhianna: Yeah, I would always hide out in the bathroom and wait until like the bell rang or, yeah. Wendy: Yeah, so tell us a little bit about what you really like about Independence High School. So you came here and what has really helped you being a student here? Rhianna: So I really like that all my teachers, they encourage you. They're always there whenever you need them. And it's more of a one-on-one learning. I feel like here, you're not afraid to ask your teachers for help. Wendy: Yeah. That's awesome.I love that. Rhianna: And you're not afraid to communicate with them. Wendy: Let me ask a follow up question with that. So how big are your classes at Independence? How many students are in your classes? Rhianna: So I'd say there's up to like 15 kids in a classroom. Yeah. 15. Wendy: So a lot fewer. Yeah, so a lot fewer. Okay, so does that, that helps you so that you can ask the teachers more questions and you get to know the students better. Rhianna:And feel more comfortable. Wendy: I love that. That's great. How would you describe this school independence as a whole? Like, What, what's really different besides the number of students and your teachers are caring about you. Obviously, teachers care about kids no matter what school they're at, but it's a little bit easier if I have smaller classes, but tell me what's different. Rhianna:I think that there's really no problems. Wendy: So you don't have a lot of conflicts. Rhianna: Yeah, we, there's no, there's not a lot of drama. And if there is, then it's like, I don't know, I feel like it goes away fast. Yeah. Wendy: That makes for a much safer environment for you. Yes. That's great. So tell me about some of your teachers. Who have been some of your favorite teachers or what are your favorite subjects and why? Rhianna: I really respect and I like all my teachers, but I really appreciate John, Alice, Russell, who was my teacher last year, Bryce, and Colonel. Um, those are... Some of my teachers that I highly respect. Wendy: And tell me what they did in a classroom to help you just feel really welcome, or you love the learning, or there were great activities that happened. What was it about their classes that just made a huge difference for you? Rhianna: I really appreciate Alice because she always makes the class fun. She calls herself awkward, but um, but I love it. Like her personality is amazing. And she's always, um, there to, like, help you and encourage you. Wendy: That, and that becomes really important, right, to help you keep going, to have that encouragement. That's great. Tell me how Independence has helped you get back on track. So you weren't going to class at your last high school. So tell me how Independence has helped with that and what your progress is towards your graduation. Rhianna: When I first came here and met like the vice principal. He was very encouraging on, like, how, like, the classes were and how the teachers were. So, I was a bit excited because it seemed like a comfortable place. I heard things about Independence. When I came here, like, those were lies, you know. When I started going to class here, I felt more comfortable. I wasn't afraid to, like, raise my hand or communicate with my teachers. I think that really helped me, just communicating and having my teachers and feeling safe. Wendy: Tell me a little bit about how you had that process of getting back on track with your credits. So, do you get to take more classes? Did you get caught up over the summer? What does that look like and how did people help you with that? Rhianna: So... At first, like, I would just, I don't know, do my work in class, try to get things done because I was behind. And I went to summer school after my freshman year and, and that really helped me. That caught me up, like…

28 min