I sometimes say that I loved high school so much that I never left, as my entire career has been spent in a high school. Some of my fondest memories come from the four years I spent at Wheeling High School. My favorite part of the school year was the start. There was a nervous excitement about the first day of school, seeing classmates you didn’t see as often during the summer, and even getting an opportunity to meet new friends. As the summer breeze started to wane and the leaves prepared to paint the campus with their autumn colors, the school served as a backdrop to many memorable experiences that shaped me into who I am today.
Our aim at ACHS is to provide an environment for our students that will provide many memories they can discuss many years after crossing the stage at graduation. Students might remember their time in one of the 25 Advanced Placement classes we offer or time spent with lifelong friends in one of the 34 clubs and activities that run throughout the year. Years from now, they might reminisce with former teammates about the big wins from one of the 26 competitive athletic teams we have here.
In the future, our students might fondly look back at ACHS Homecoming, which is scheduled for the week of October 9th this year. The revered and tradition-filled ACHS Homecoming Parade and Bonfire starts down Main Street on Thursday, the 12th of October. The football game follows on the 13th, and festivities will end with the Homecoming Dance on October 14th.
This year, we will implement a program designed to make the experience of our new ninth graders memorable as they walk through the doors of ACHS for the first time as students. Our Link Crew utilizes upper-class students to serve as mentors and valuable resources for our newest Sequoits. We are excited to bear witness as the freshmen build a connection to their “home away from home” for the next 4 years.
As we step into this new school year, we hope that ACHS students remember the lessons that are learned beyond textbooks – the friendships that taught the true meaning of camaraderie, the challenges that pushed them beyond their limits, and the moments of pure joy that reminded them of the simplicity of a smile.
Looking forward to seeing you at the many memorable events throughout the year at ACHS.
Once a Sequoit, always a Sequoit,
Mike Berrie
Principal
Antioch Community High School
