Dear future principal,

I hope your week is going well! My name is Danielle Bennett and I am a reporter for Eye of the Tiger; I’m sure we’ll talk to each other at some point for one story or another. And I’m looking forward to getting to know you better, but before we begin our time together let me just say one thing – you have some big shoes to fill.

The principal we have now has never been one to lead from behind closed doors. He is always available to students on campus, to speak with them and to connect with them. And because of this, he is not just some person with some title that we know must be important. He is a memorable part of our high school experience.

Our current principal has a commitment to supporting the different extracurriculars that are available to students that enrich our academic experience. Whether it’s a club event or competition, something students want to put together on campus, or yes, even an interview about any issue under the sky for our journalism program, he will make a serious effort to provide students with every opportunity to explore their creativity and aspiration.

There is never a fear that we cannot approach him, that we will not be taken seriously or will not be respected. We are students but while we are still young, we are mature enough to have a voice that merits being heard.

So to our future principal, I look forward to what you will bring to this campus. We can always use new ideas and a fresh perspective to spruce up our old school. Change is hard, but it is also how we evolve and grow.

But to our future principal, do strive to continue with the mindset that you will listen to students, that you will value what we say and to continue to strive to make this campus a place for students to explore their interests and build relationships with those around them. School is more than where we learn about academics; it’s where we learn about ourselves.

No pressure.

Your local student journalist,

Danielle Bennett