By MICHELLE IRWIN
We have had a great start of the school year and cannot believe that the first month of school has already passed!
October will be a busy month at Patrick Henry High. We will host a Blood Drive, finish our first progress reporting period and have our first spirit week during Homecoming week! We will have a pep rally and Homecoming football game on Friday, Oct. 15 and a Homecoming dance on Saturday, Oct. 16 in the Henry quad. Our Alumni Association is also hosting a fundraiser at Admiral Baker Golf Course on Oct. 14.
Our Henry Foundation will be honoring our students who earned a 4.0+ GPA during the 2020-21 school year on Oct. 27. We are thankful for all the ways our Foundation supports Patrick Henry High School. Our Foundation has purchased books for our English classes, supported clubs like the Model United Nations and provided much needed support for our educators. Please consider supporting the Foundation by making a tax-deductible donation. Please visit patrickhenryhighfoundation.org.
Please remember to visit the Patrick Henry website for up to date information about our school and district at patrickhenryhs.net.
On behalf of the Patrick Henry High School faculty, we want to thank you for being our partner in education so we can ensure all students graduate with integrity, purpose, and options.
Yearbook
It is time to buy your Patrick Henry 2022 yearbook! All yearbooks will be sold online at yearbookordercenter.com Enter the code 8053 to purchase a 2022 Patrick Henry High yearbook.
Student standout
Perseverance was the aptly named rover that successfully landed on mars this past year. The name, derived from the word, can be defined as: “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.”
What does this have to do with Andrea Zayas-Conner, a senior from Henry High school? The truth is, her attitude this year can only be described as one that embodies hard work and exudes perseverance.
Andrea started cross-country track her freshman year as a fun way to meet friends, and was, to put it bluntly, one of the slower runners on the team. She had to work hard to reach the finish line. But no matter what obstacles she faced, no matter how hot or cold the day was, no matter how steep the incline, she kept running, day in and day out. Throughout the struggle of COVID, Andrea kept visualizing her goal times, and how much further she would be willing to push herself to achieve success. She kept persisting, and of course kept running.
The truth is, we all have the ability to persevere in our endeavors, athletic or otherwise, yet few of us rise to the challenge. With excuses such as work and busy schedules, it’s hard to keep up. But its students like Andrea who remind me why it’s so important to keep going, fighting, and dreaming.
Andrea reached her goal pace at Woodbridge for the three-mile, even through the sweltering heat and a long drive. She didn’t make excuses — she stepped up and ran hard, and came home with a medal (not to mention a beaming smile).
Although she didn’t get first place, she reminded the team of a far more important lesson. She reminded us that with hard work and perseverance, you can accomplish anything.
— By Erin Fink, Physics, Biology, AVID teacher
— Michelle Irwin is principal of Patrick Henry High School.
