Half a year done, three and a half years to go.
That may be how many Falls High School freshmen feel as they ready for winter break and finish the first four months as high schoolers.
And while the accomplishments many students have already achieved since entering the hallways in September are worth note, school administrators and leaders of a program to promote graduation want the students to begin thinking ahead to 2014 — not just 2011.
The freshman class, which will graduate in 2014, is the second FHS class to participate in the Legacy Program. This program promotes a commitment to graduation, as well as a partnership between the students and the faculty and staff at the school.
This will be the first FHS graduating class which Jeff Peura, International Falls School District superintendent, will have overseen for the full four-year journey. He, too, started in the district this past summer.
“As educators, one of the happiest days for us is when we can hand to you a diploma,” he said. “That diploma is a representation of the success you had as students within our system.”
He said that teachers and administrators in the district are working for the students and wanted to encourage their success.
“The clock is ticking. You’ve got so many years to get so many credits to achieve what will set you on the path to productive adulthood,” he warned the students.
Peura cited statistics about the financial incentives the students have to finish high school — because the amount of money a high school graduate will earn in their lifetimes is significantly higher than those without a diploma. And a college diploma will open doors to an even higher-paying job.
FHS Principal Tim Everson encouraged the students to stay active in sports and other extracurricular activities, as well as school programs. Staying active in the school and encouraging other classmates to do the same helps the entire class attain the graduation goal set before them Wednesday.
Adam Bartelt, of Minnesota Graduate Services, reminded the students of the importance of passing the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment Tests and ensuring they have taken the proper core classes.
“Graduation is a privilege, not a right,” Bartelt said. “It’s hard work, but it’s rewarding work that will benefit you guys in the future,” he said.
Bartelt brought the program to FHS last year as well. The Legacy Program is a nationwide program that began in the South, where graduation rates are among the lowest in the nation. But seeing the success of the program, organizations like Minnesota Graduate Services brought the program to Minnesota.
The freshmen clapped for one another as they received a card about their participation in the program. They signed a banner to show their commitment and were given a necklace inscribed with their graduation year.
The banner is to hang in the FHS cafeteria near the Class of 2013 banner during the tenure of the students at the school.
