As part of a new initiative for the Week of Respect, the Student Council collected over 100 appreciation messages from students and turned them into handwritten notes posted on teachers’ doors, aiming to strengthen community and lift spirits during a stressful season.
![Working in the Student Success Office, Attendance Secretary Lordis Depiazza inputs a student’s absence excuse note. Students are required to bring an excuse note to the attendance office within three days of any absence. “Reminding students that being in school is important because it reflects towards your grades and being able to do any activities with the school,” Depiazza said. “[It] seems to get the students' attention about wanting to be in school.”](https://southwestshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8313-1200x800.jpg)
![Squaring up to a practice dummy, sophomore Cypher Andres prepares to throw a punch. Dummies are regularly used to help him prepare certain hits to take his opponents down. “[Boxing dummies help me practice] because it’s basically a model of the body,” Andres said. “It helps with accuracy, such as pressure points behind the ear, and a clean liver shot can end the fight.”](https://southwestshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_5728-e1759850486200-1200x864.jpg)
![Arranging the fabric on the floor for a new project, senior Sapphyre-Ann Leung plans out her attire for the next deadline. With the recent closures, students now had limited resources and less margin for error with the fabric and materials they had in stock while trying to reach strict deadlines. “Joann’s had a lot of high-end fabric for our fashion competitions,” Leung said. “We couldn’t just buy ten yards of fabric from Hobby Lobby or Walmart. Since [Joann Fabrics] is no longer open, we have to buy items online, which is way more expensive.”](https://southwestshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0038-1200x800.jpg)
