I was invited to join the boys’ soccer team Tuesday to travel to Oxnard for a second round CIF game. Even though the score didn’t end up in our favor, I was grateful for the opportunity to get to know some of our students. I watched them battle this year and grow as soccer players, and it was even better to get to know some of them on a different level. We have some quality people connected to our school, and the boys soccer team is among them. I appreciate the work Hector Najera has done to not just grow athletes, but to grow young men. Go Tillers!

On Wednesday morning, I presented to teachers and staff some changes in effect for next week. These changes include only allowing Tusting High School hats to be worn at school, shortening passing periods to five minutes and creating two snacks to decrease the number of students out at one time. It was a good conversation explaining the why for each and equipping teachers as they presented this information later that day.

The above changes were a major part of CCR, the venue students received the above information. It was interesting to sit in a CCR with freshman students and see their reaction to the changes. Through the rest of the week, I had many conversations with students expressing their opinion of the changes. It allowed me to explain further to students the why behind the changes. In short, I told them there were groups of students making poor choices and in order to make sure Tustin High School was a safe place for all students, there were some important changes that needed to happen as first steps. This school is an amazing place, and we want it to stay that way. It would be easy to passively let it drift into just another school, but we want to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Speaking of taking an active approach to life, we had three athletes qualify for the masters wrestling tournament to determine State Qualifiers. It is an amazing accomplishment which puts them in an elite group. The top 9 wrestlers from each weight class will earn a spot in the California State Wrestling Tournament. Qualifying for masters means they are one of a small group who made it out of the CIF sectional last weekend. It turns out we have three young ladies who accomplished this feat: Leilah Patel, Kat Moreno, and Destiny Huerta. Good luck to these Tillers as they attack this challenging weekend.

Go Tillers!

Dr. Jon Tuin

Tustin High School Principal