Class of 2024,
On May 13th at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri you will graduate with your high school diploma. Malcolm X once stated “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” On August 24, 2020 you started the journey preparing for your future. During these past four years there have been a lot of trials and tribulations that have molded you into the great people you are today. Your freshman year started during a global pandemic and you had to participate in synchronous and asynchronous learning. I had the pleasure of meeting some of you face to face albeit wearing a mask for the first time in Gym A as you stop by to pick up school supplies. Online learning wasn’t easy for you; on a side note it wasn’t easy for your teachers or me having to deal with “Zoom Bombers”. Eventually, you got to start high school in person but you had to wear a mask, social distance and unfortunately, some of you had to be removed from school if you were in close proximity to someone who tested positive for COVID. Freshman year was definitely an adjustment, academic expectations were high, you struggled to navigate in the hallways, and you had to sit at the top of the bleachers
in the Cat-pound. Sophomore year you started off with a bang as we all had to deal with the “devious lick” challenge. By the way, thank you to all of the students who didn’t participate in this crazy challenge! On a positive note we finally got rid of those masks and you received your class rings. Junior year I witnessed you beginning to spread wings and your confidence started to soar. Now as seniors you walk the hallways with your heads held high and you possess the poise and strength to handle anything that comes your way. I believe one of the purposes of education is to provide students with the necessary academic knowledge and social skills to become productive members of society. You guys have excelled in the classroom, on the athletic playing field, and various competitions i.e. band, dance, cheerleading, speech & debate. Nearly a fourth of your graduating class has a 4.0 GPA or higher; there have been numerous individuals to receive academic and athletic scholarships to universities across the nation. Now that we are nearing the end of our time together I want you to do me a favor at the graduation ceremony. As you wait for your name to be called to receive your diploma, take a moment to reflect on a great experience you had with someone during your time at EHS. It may be a memory of you hanging with your friends in the Cat-pound; attending the homecoming dance or prom; studying with your classmates to cram for a big exam; or the time you spent with your teammates preparing to beat Lafayette. Whatever experience comes to mind, just remember you are part of the EHS family so have high expectations of each other, embrace everybody’s differences, help each other out and stay united. Always be true to yourself; each one of you is destined to do great things in the future!!!
Love to you all,
Dr. George Calhoun
Class of 2024 Principal
