Heroes Day

On March 16, 2015 students, staff and faculty invited First Responders from around the region to return to Reynolds High School for a day to honor them and the services they provided on June 10, 2014. 

The day to honor First Responders started by being served lunch. Lunch was prepared by students studying in our Culinary Arts technical program and served by students in the Leadership program. During lunch, Principal Wade Bakley spoke welcoming and shared “I am so glad that you got the chance too see the people you saved last year.” He continued by saying it did not matter if they came in a car with a gun or were part of the healing process. He said the students of Reynolds High School are a tremendous group of people and that they “are the toughest kids on the planet.”

Following lunch, an Assembly of Honor was held. Students lined the hallways from the Multipurpose Room to the gym. Students clapped, chanted and shook the hands of First Responders as they travelled across the school to the gym.  Video clips of the precession can be seen below once clicking on the link.

The Assembly of Honor began with the showing of the Reynolds Strong video (link below). Chief Scott Anderson said that this video really connected the First Responders with students. Sophomore Hailee Siebert read a poem she wrote in the form of a letter to her mom. The poem outlines her experience, feelings, and reactions as her and fellow students waited in a classroom until officers entered the room. She recalls that at that point they knew help had arrived, but that there was still no calm as hushed rumors of gunfire and death traveled amongst the students. Her poem was personal, yet could have been written by any student.  

ASB member Kevin Williams and Sophomore Class Council member Brady Bronson presented Teacher Todd Rispler with a special honor for his part in the events on June 10^, 2015.  ASB president Conor Stewart spoke, thanking everyone for attending Hero’s Day and for their actions on June 10, 2015 as well as for their heroics everyday.

Troutdale Police Chief Scott Anderson closed out the assembly by speaking about what it means to be Raider Strong—which calls for everyone to be bonded together and to form relationships. He stated that these relationships embrace the blessings that only the healing process can bring by loving one another and helping each other through tough times. He spoke of the amazing response that the whole community exemplified on that day and thereafter.

Ending the day, First Responders were given Heroes Day medals as a token of the students’ appreciation and a way to remember how much they all mean to the students, staff and faculty.