As we approach the end of another school year, I am pleased to look back on our achievements. So much has happened in our school community, that I feel compelled to update my blog. Here at EPHS, we have witnessed our students becoming more involved in our school than ever before. They are maturing, taking responsibility for their own learning, and taking the initiative to make our school more inclusive. Students are also giving themselves a voice for input into their school.
Here are a few of the highlights of this school year.
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On May 1st, students and faculty members set out for the Rhode Island State House where Commissioner Gist was giving her State of the State of Education address. We were invited and recognized because of the gains that we have made in our NECAP scores over the last few years. After we returned from the event, I met with reporters from The Townie, our school newspaper. We discussed Comissioner Gist's message and I explained why we were invited. I can proudly proclaim, “Our students get it!” They know the importance of their studies at EPHS. They understand what it means to be (as Ms. Gist phrased) "leading the way."
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Also in May, Mr. Keith Stokes, The Executive Director of the Rhode Island Ecenomic Development Corporation visited our school. He spoke with our 10th and 11th grade students about the importance of education to the future of Rhode Island. "Your education is so important that if you do not take full advantage of it, you will be left behind,” said Mr. Stokes. He also expressed that our state, right now, is like an employment agency for workers in Connecticut and Massachusetts because Rhode Island employers cannot find highly skilled employees to fill these jobs. Education matters, and post-secondary education and training matters. Our students were engaged in the conversation and It was apparent that they understood Mr. Stoke's message.
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Another area in which students have grown is in the understanding of the requirements of our diploma system. Students have accepted the responsibility of all that is asked of them and it is no small measure of their transformation as informed young adults. Parents and students should be proud. As members of the EPHS community, we all can be proud.
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If you are reading this today, you know about The Townie. Our students have taken our school newspaper into the digital age, writing articles that are superb.
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In another media event, a group of our students took up the challenge to participate in an event that was discussed in Advisory. The teams won first and second place in a contest calleed 'One Voice', producing a video that was aired on the FOX network during the month of April.
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At the beginning of this school year, The Townie Volunteer Corp was formed by a group of our students. The group has created or assisted in numerous community service events this year, such as “Al’s Wheels”, food drives, and fundraisers.
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The Partners Program has continued to provide our special students with friendship and positive peer influence. The students enrolled in the Partners program have taken on their responsibilities with a sense of integrity, caring and nurturing that would make any parent proud.
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In the winter, The Democrat and Republican clubs debated with local news personality Jim Hummel serving as moderator. The event was well attended by students, parents, and teachers, and club members showed an understanding of the world that impressed the audience.
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Students who participate in the arts have continued to create impressive works that have been exhibited in galleries and art shows throughout Rhode Island. Band and Choral concerts throughout the year continue to be well attended by the school community and also by many people outside our school district.
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This year's production of My Fair Lady by the EPHS Musical Theatre Group was another in a long line of spectacular events. The reviews continue to come in from the community about the success of this year's musical.
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Student-athletes have competed in title games and meets and EPHS garnered a state title in hockey. The Townies have made the play offs in many of our sports programs and have been awarded sportsmanship awards by the RI Interscholastic League.
If anyone doubts the potential of the students, faculty and staff members of EPHS who participate and lead our school to be the best it can be, well, they haven’t been paying attention. We are a school that is graduating some of the finest students I have worked with in my career. We are a school with a faculty and staff that has so much pride in the work we do, that we have been commended by the Rhode Island Department of Education. I have always maintained that our work as a group is more important than our work as individuals. We have made this a reality!
I look forward to our end of the year events, because I know from a bird’s eye view, the amount of hard work that was required by students, parents, faculty and staff to achieve all of this. I thank all of our students, parents faculty and staff for your efforts in making our school a great place of learning.
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