Change is a ubiquitous aspect of life, but it perhaps occurs in high school even more than it does in the years to come. After all, with a whole quarter of the student body leaving and another coming in each year along with the changes that come with each grade’s experience, no year of high school is ever quite the same.

It is true that change can be scary; students can be worried about the classes they are taking next year or taking on new roles in activities and the community. Every year it seems like a new building, new people, and new alterations to the building itself.

And yet, we would like to think that there is also something exhilarating about the promise of progress, or at least the pursuit of it, and the possibility of personal growth and new relationships. This is what makes every year stand out in our minds.

In fact, there are a number of exciting changes headed to SHS. Hopefully, SHS will be waving goodbye to shivering classrooms and welcoming new styles of learning.

Certainly there may also be some changes that no one can yet predict the reactions to. While we would love nothing more than for all these promises to be fulfilled and for them to be the best choices for the education and the students of SHS, reality is often a bit more complicated. Yet, we plan to keep an open mind and encourage students to give everything a fair shot.

At least we can expect that all year round we will have teachers and administrators looking out for our high school experiences and educations.

Either way students and staff are always exited to see what comes next, and through it all SHS is looking forward to informing and entertaining our community. Thank you so much for reading in the 2016-2017 school year, and just like SHS, we at The Leaf hope to see you again in the fall, better than ever.