Dear Harper Family,

As principal of William R. Harper High School, it is my pleasure to welcome everyone back for 2015/2016 school year. We are all excited to have students back in our classrooms and hallways filling them with energy and enthusiasm for learning. It is our mission to help every child feel welcomed, connected and a part of the Harper family. Additionally, we strive to challenge each student to grow in his or her academic abilities and to be college-ready. At Harper, we have great teachers and staff that are here to promote growth both academically and socially. Our teachers spend hours planning and creating classroom activities to engage and challenge our students in their learning. The teachers utilize reaserch-based best practices and analyze academic data to determine current skill levels and to set goals for growth and improvement. We believe that all students will graduate from high school preprared for the demands of postsecondary education, meaningful careers and effective citizenship.

We have made great strides academically! We have graduated 3 Gates Millennium Scholars. On the ACT, PLAN and EXPLORE, many of you and your peers have scored extremely high. This is due in part to the hard work and dedication that you have put forth with consistently coming to school, completing daily homework and meeting the challenges and high expectations that your teachers have set forth. Once again, I present a challenge to you to continue putting forth great effort academically. If you are in the number that has not put academia as a priority this is your school year! If you have never made the Honor Roll or Principal’s Scholar List, make this a priority this school year. Take time to sit with your Counselor once a quarter to make sure you are on track to graduate. Challenge yourself to check your grades on a weekly basis to ensure that you are successfully passing your classes. Another challenge is for you to help us reach our school goal of 90% attendance. And finally, if you are missing credits, enroll in the various Credit Recovery programs that are being offered at Harper.

Harper High School has the privilege of being able to offer dozens of extra-curricular activities. I truly believe, there is something here for each and every one of you. Therefore, my last challenge to you for this school year is to take advantage of the various activities that Harper High School has to offer. Research has shown that the more involved students are in the school, the more they are invested and will consistently attend and finally GRADUATE!!! Remember, your ultimate goalis being prepared for postsecondary education, meaningful careers and effective citizenship.

Harper has made tremendous gains. However, we have a long road ahead of us! Let’s make this school year better than the last and let's put William R. Harper High School on the map as the BEST high school, not just in Englewood, not just in the city of Chicago, but in the nation!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. You playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking, so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone! And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Sincerely,

Leonetta C. Sanders, Principal