Letter to the Editor: Thoughts From a WHS Graduate

Editor's Note: The following letter was submitted to Westwood Patch by Harry Clapsis, a recent graduate of Westwood High School's Class of 2011. 

Last Sunday was the , a class I was apart of. This wasn't just a graduation from Westwood High School, this was a graduation from the Westwood Schools. Having spent the last 12 years of my life in these schools, I thought a small commentary would be appropriate.

I started off my school career in the , a school that was expanding while I was a student. You could see that even at the smallest, yet arguably the most important, levels of education, Westwood strived to be the best. The district would not allow any students to be at a disadvantage. The Martha Jones was where all students first encountered the MCAS. For the great majority of the class, we were extremely successful on this assessment. Was this because of well-planned studying on our part? Not entirely. Our teachers taught us to always want to do even better than the high level we were being taught at. As a result, we had the desire to learn more so we could be the best. The Martha Jones laid the foundation that the cathedral of my education would be built upon

After six short years, we were sent off to . For all, this was uncharted territory. Instead of having thirty students in our grade as it seemed in elementary schools, we had two hundred. Most of us were extremely nervous. How did this block schedule work? Were we going to find more friends? Would we get beat up by big, bad eighth graders? All of these fears were alleviated by the staff at Thurston. When teachers weren't providing the education we all deserved, they were making sure we were able to learn in a comfortable environment. Those years are some of the most challenging for many students. We realised that we needed to be mature, we just didn't know how. Again, teachers were there to help us along both as students and as people.

Then, we moved onto the big leagues: . We all walked into those front doors, realising that the journey we were about to embark on in that new building was going to be long, and it could determine the rest of our lives. I know, no pressure. However, we were able to work through this journey. We grew as both students and as people. Teachers no longer gave us advice just on how to deal with academic problems, they gave us advice on how to deal with any problem we would face in the future. Westwood High focused on sending you out of its doors not with just a great education, but with a plan on how we could attack anything that life throws at us.

Many of you may be wondering why I am writing this. In short, I am grateful. Having spent the last 12 years of my life here, I know that I am going out in the real world as prepared as I ever could be. Many people are worried of what life could throw at them. I know I'll be able to deal with absolutely anything due in large part to the Westwood Public Schools. Superintendent John Antonucci has done a fantastic job of building Westwood into a model school for the Commonwealth. Next year, he will be joined in Central Administration by Ms. Emily Parks, . Having seen her lead Westwood High for the last four years, I know that she will be amazing in her new position.

Now, I want to ask the Westwood Community for a favor. Year after year, the town has provided the large majority of the school's budget. For that, I am very grateful. Please, continue to support the Westwood Schools. The work they do on a daily basis is absolutely tremendous. The amount of students who give back to the community every day is breathtaking. Even if you may not have a child who will go through the schools in the future, please support the schools. That is my parting hope that I have as I leave the Westwood Community.

Thank You,
Harry Clapsis
Westwood High Class of 2011