WELCOME back, Lancers! Hopefully, everyone had an amazing summer full of breaking rules and having fun because sadly those days have come to an end at Granger High. Everyone should say farewell to misconduct under Granger’s roof. As everyone knows, Dr. Howe is fairly new to Granger and has been mixing things up for the past few years. His policies and changes have left a lasting impression on students: some positive and some negative. 

As a student body, Lancers have endured many hectic moments, but will this year be any better? That’s the goal! Dr. Howe, along with the government, has many things in store for the 2024-2025 school year…

“I know a lot about this school’s improvement plans. I’m part of the group that writes it. In fact, I’m the principal author. I hope I’m a servant leader who goes out helping students, teachers, or even parents. That includes helping to do the tasks that I ask of other people. I also hope to be that leader who receives input from everybody involved and tries to rev up on what’s called: consensus. I love everyone who is involved in this journey on what’s the best plan to go forward.

There are objective and subjective data. The difference between those makes it very easy to mathematically evaluate how good or bad something was. The  relationship with our students, their well-being, and their emotional capacity is the most important thing. I also think they are connected  to the objective part of what kind of growth we see from them, not just on their scores or grades, but who they are and what they’ve done. We are seeing amazing growth from our students and that makes me and the faculty proud. 

We have some things rolling right now that will go with us next school year. One of them is flex time, and as we already know, the phone lockdown pocket. I know a lot of the student body put that on me. They’d say, “Oh, this is Mr. Howe’s doing. It’s his rules being placed.” You know, I’m alright with being blamed because I’m the principal. Hopefully the student body realizes that it’s not me putting this down, but the Utah Government. 

Obviously, it’s not going to be easy for the students, the faculty, or even parents to be able to reach their kids. We are all, not just teens, but adults as well, attached to our phones. I think it’s going to be hard in the beginning, but we’ll all work together to overcome it. I have high hopes we can do it. We have to establish the time, and when it is okay, to use our phones. We are all learning together, but let’s see how this goes.

 Imagining myself as a higher schooler at Granger, there are some rules I’m sure I would have no problem following, and others I wouldn’t like. It’s the same thing as being an adult in the real world. You know you have to follow laws, and at times, I wish I could break them, but I know why they were established and that they’re good for me. 

As the Class of 2024 just left home, they’re going to go down as one of the most resilient groups. They went through something tougher than anyone else now. Everybody went through the pandemic, but they went through it while transitioning to high school. That is one of the hardest transitions any of us do in our lives. Getting the hang of high school is a really hard thing to do, so I’m very proud of that group. I’m sad to see them go. 

2025 is awesome too. I’m excited for them to have different personalities as seniors, but I really liked the class of 2024.

As for this year, we’ll see what it has in store for us,” Dr, Howe said.

It’s clear to anyone that this school year will be unlike any other. Buckle up Lancers because things are about to change. No one will even have their phones! Don’t be strangers. Talk to each other and have fun. Despite policy changes, make the most of this school year.