A big hello to all the students and families coming to ETHS this year! 

First and foremost, I hope everyone had a great summer. I, for one, was extremely inspired this summer: with the protests, the student, young adult and community leadership shined this summer. With the circumstances of the world right now, I know it’s hard, but we have all conquered through. 

Coming into this year is going to be hard: we have new classes, new teachers and the looming fear of losing our entire year. So the challenge I bring to you this year is one of optimism. It is so easy to despair when the world is drastically different, and it is so easy to give up on yourself; however, focusing on the little bits of joy in your life, wherever you may find them, is a good way to lift this despair. How can you stay optimistic and driven this year? I, for one, am planning on working out at least three times a week and having a new book to read each week. I’m also planning on establishing a schedule and getting a list of things done everyday so I’m not constantly a couch potato. I know it is so hard to have optimism in the current environment, but whatever keeps you motivated and willing to keep going everyday, you should be doing it. 

In addition to optimism, I want to talk about feelings of failure and procrastination. These are the easiest things to succumb to when we don’t have our regular schedule, and it is okay to feel these things. It’s okay to be devastated about your sport, play, concert or club being canceled. But, as I said, it is also really important to find something to combat those feelings so they don’t take over. 

Going into this year, we all have absolutely no idea how it is going to pan out. I’m nervous, and I also hold a pretty big role in the conversations about how our schools need changing and that includes the ongoing conversation about Black Lives Matter and the presence of police in our school. I feel scared, but I also feel excited. This year has a lot of potential. It has potential for so much growth and learning. It has potential to be absolutely amazing. Let’s ride on that potential. Let’s go into this year with hope, safety and love. 

Let’s do this the E-Town way! 

Best,

Carmiya Bady