Welcome to 2017! And congratulations to all of us for making it through the first half of the school year. This year is shaping up to be one that we will all remember for some time to come. I wanted to share a few thoughts with you all as we embark on the second half of the school year.

At the school level, we are coming up on final exams and the end of the first semester. I hope that each of you is taking time to assess where you stand in each of your classes and that you are making plans for how to address those classes that need some attention.

Make sure that you talk to your teachers and that you fully understand what it is that you need to do in order to do well on your finals and pass your classes.

Use PASS time or after school time to talk with teachers and get help if you need it. Focus and study. Prepare as best you can and I think you will find that you will do well on your finals and other end of semester projects.

We are all watching what happens on the national stage with interest. We will be inaugurating a new president on January 20th and this will very likely have some quite concerned about where we are headed as a nation. Here is what I know—here in our school, we will continue to value, respect and support every student and staff member who is part of our community.

We have always been this way as a school and I am not sure why that would need to be any different moving forward. The political events that are taking place at the national level will surely be something that we will all be watching and talking about.

As we watch events unfold, let’s all remember the fact that we are a great school that takes care of everyone and that honors and respects all views—even if they do not align with what each of us believes individually, and on both sides of the issues.

Happy new year and have a great finish to first semester!