FRIDAY REFLECTION
From the desk of Dr. Tuin, THS Principal
December 10, 2021
It is a wonderful gift to work together with a group of people all focused on the same outcome, and then experience the reality of that vision come to life. High School so many of these opportunities for students in a variety of venues.
On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night, our Advanced Theater students performed “Christmas Carol” in front of a live audience. Even with masks, the energy and excitement of performing live radiated from the actors. It was also obvious the team of actors and backstage crew worked intently to create an entertaining and thoughtful show. During the curtain call, it felt like the group realized with certainty that all their effort over the past couple of months paid off. It was a joy to watch our students come to life and perform creative expressions of thoughtful content.
Just across the plaza was another performing group of students who dedicated hours and hours to create a combined experience. The Tiller Jazz Band performed 12 songs related to the theme of the season. Students contributed the sound of their individual instruments in a way that produced a festive event. Each number included a whole band intro or conclusion, but also featured multiple students on solos. The vibe of the evening was family-friendly and fun, with the audience contributing lyrics or cheers.
Similarly, our winter athletic teams demonstrated the importance of hours and hours of practice and preparation. It is fun to see our athletes learning the importance of teamwork. Girls’ Soccer, Boys’ Soccer, Girls’ Basketball, Boys’ Basketball, and Girls’ Water Polo are all in different levels of development as teams, but it was clear this week that our coaches are intent on teaching them how to develop as a team. They all are striving for the obvious outcome to win the competition, but other more meaningful outcomes were occurring along the way as students learned to be team players willing to push themselves.
In a weird way, the group and team performances I watched from students this week reminded me of our adult team. On Thursday morning, we learned of a situation that moved us into a “shelter in place” scenario. We needed to do some quick investigating to determine the next steps. While no one was in imminent danger, we needed every one in one place so we could efficiently do a threat assessment. Our team here at THS, with the help of some TUSD leadership, worked quickly with the Tustin Police department to handle the situation in order to ensure everyone’s safety. I know it was a stressful situation for many, but I was impressed with the professionalism exhibited in making sure everyone was safe. Our team worked together seamlessly in order to navigate the demands of the day.
Despite the challenges, it was a good week to be a Tiller! Whether on the stage, field, classroom or even in the office, Tillers stepped up!
Go Tillers!
Dr. Jon Tuin
Tustin High School Principal
Contact us!
Email: THSInfo@tustin.k12.ca.us
Website: https://www.tustin.k12.ca.us/tustin-high
Location: 1171 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA 92780, USA
Phone: 714-730-7414
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TustinHighSchool/
Twitter: @TustinHS