The summer has come to an end now that we are all back in school.  We are ready, or not so ready, to begin learning, testing, excelling, and challenging ourselves again.  No matter who you are in the school—a sophomore, a junior, a senior, a teacher—this year will bring many changes your way.  These may be anticipated or unanticipated.  Either way, we now stand at the beginning of a cycle in a position to make changes of our own for the better, and everyone could use some words of wisdom every once in a while.

Though change is most often viewed as upsetting and somewhat scary, there is a lot of positive change to look forward to as we return to school.

The administrative team has changed for this school year due to retirements and promotions.  Though Dr. Barbara Williams and her positive and upbeat personality will be missed, Mr. DiClemente has joined the school and his fantastic attitude will surely fill the shoes of our past principal.  Along with Dr. Williams, Mr. Howard was everyone’s favorite administrator, a great guy with an amazing sense of humor that everyone loved.  Mr. Wing, however, is just as great as “Howie,” a kind man with a dedication to help students all over the school.

Not only did we get new staff members, but we also have been met with places in the school that have been reconstructed over the past summer.  At the top of the list is the girls locker room, which went from rusty old lockers that some claim to be from the 50s when the school was built, to an immaculate dressing room for female students all over the school.

Though we expected the remodelling of the science wings to begin over the summer, plans have been delayed.  However, there is a lot to look forward to and if we cannot envision change in our environment, then we can in ourselves.

Here at the Chief, we like to think of life as a great big book filled with winding roads, exciting endeavors, brutal challenges, heart-pounding action, frightful twists, and maybe, just maybe, a happily-ever-after ending.  

Every year, every month, every week, and every day will be filled with opportunities to improve ourselves, and the first one we suggest you take is the opportunity to turn to a fresh page in your life.  It’s a new year, and every new year brings its own opportunities— and challenges.  

The good news is that every single one of these challenges can be surpassed because every day is a new day.  Every day is manageable if we take every opportunity we can find.  Make no mistake, though, every opportunity requires effort.  

If you have been coasting through the summer or through the past year, now is a great time to get serious about school and buckle down.  Every year is a new chapter, every month is a new paragraph, every sentence is a new week, and every day is a new word in which you can say something truly great.  We suggest that you get started on making your book a masterpiece because we all are capable of anything we set our minds to.    

If you have been accomplishing everything you want and ticking off every box on your to-do list, challenge yourself, don’t wait for others to challenge you.  

As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience”

Join a club, take up a hobby, or make a new friend!  You might just look back and realize it was one of the best things you have ever decided to do.  You cannot be afraid to take opportunities and you can never stop searching for your passions.

However, in your ambitious quest to become successful, do not forget that there is still time to be a teen, and that time will not last forever.  Remember to not be too hard on yourself.  Try your best and don’t take yourself too seriously, because you will look back and realize that there was so much to enjoy.    Try to find the humor in everyday because it is a well known axiom that laughter is the best medicine.

Focus on constant improvement rather than instantaneous success.  You will look back at your day, week, month, year, and, ultimately, life and realize that every miniscule bit of effort led to success.  You will make mistakes while trying new things and you will encounter failure; they mean that you are learning and growing instead of merely existing.

 Finally, even if your life is not a fairy tale right now, hold on, keep working and putting in consistent effort every single day.  As Hans Christian Anderson said, “Enjoy life. There’s plenty of time to be dead.”