Welcome back, Titans!

As we begin a brand-new school year at Forest Lawn High School, I want to take a moment to welcome every student, every family, and every member of our incredible staff back to our school community.

Whether you are returning to Forest Lawn for another year, joining us for the very first time, or beginning your Grade 10 journey, you are an important part of our school community, and we are excited to have you here.

There is something special about the beginning of a new school year. The hallways are once again filled with energy. Classrooms are being prepared. Teachers are getting ready to welcome students. Friends are reconnecting. New relationships are beginning. And, perhaps most importantly, we have a fresh opportunity to decide what kind of year we want this to be.

A new school year is a new beginning.  It is an opportunity to set new goals, to challenge ourselves, to learn something we did not know before, to make new connections, and to become the person we want to be.

At Forest Lawn, we believe that every student has the ability to grow, succeed, and contribute. Your journey through high school will not always be easy. There will be days when things come together and days when they do not. There will be assignments that challenge you, classes that push you, decisions that require courage, and moments when you may wonder whether you are capable of reaching your goals.

When those moments happen, remember this:

You belong here.

You are capable of more than you may realize.

And you do not have to navigate your journey alone.

One of the greatest strengths of Forest Lawn High School is our community. We are a school made up of people with different experiences, backgrounds, interests, talents, cultures, perspectives, and dreams. What brings us together is that we are all Titans.

Our school motto, “Pride, Respect, Responsibility,” is more than a phrase we put on a wall. It represents the way we want to live and learn together.

Pride.

Be proud of who you are.

Be proud of where you come from.

Be proud of the progress you make.

And be proud to be a Titan.

Pride does not mean being perfect. It means taking ownership of who you are and recognizing that you have something valuable to contribute. Take pride in your work. Take pride in your classroom. Take pride in your school. Take pride in the way you treat the people around you.

When you walk through the doors of Forest Lawn each morning, remember that this is your school.

Your classroom matters.

Your voice matters.

Your ideas matter.

Your presence matters.

Respect.

Respect is at the heart of everything we do.

Respect your classmates. Respect your teachers. Respect our support staff. Respect our families and our community. Most importantly, respect yourself.

We will not always agree with one another—and that is okay. Our differences are part of what makes our community stronger. We can disagree while still listening. We can have different perspectives while still showing kindness. We can challenge ideas without disrespecting people.

At Forest Lawn, we want every person who walks through our doors to feel safe, welcomed, valued, and respected.

That responsibility belongs to all of us.

Responsibility.

Your success is ultimately your responsibility.

That does not mean you have to do everything by yourself. It means that you have the power to make choices that move you closer to where you want to go.

Come to school.

Be on time.

Be prepared.

Ask questions.

Use the supports available to you.

Complete your work.

Take advantage of opportunities.

And when you make a mistake...and everyone will...learn from it, make it right, and keep moving forward.

One of the most important things I want you to understand this year is that success is not about being the smartest person in the room.

Success is about being willing to learn.

It is about perseverance.

It is about asking for help when you need it.

It is about trying again when something does not work.

It is about showing up, even when you are not sure of yourself.

And it is about believing that your future is worth working for.

To our Grade 10 students: welcome to Forest Lawn. Your high school journey is just beginning. You are going to discover new interests, develop new friendships, face new challenges, and learn more about who you are and what you are capable of. Get involved. Try something new. Join a team. Join a club. Attend an event. Meet people. Talk to your teachers. Find your place in our school.

To our Grade 11 students: this is an important year. You have an opportunity to build on the foundation you created last year and begin thinking more seriously about what comes next. Whether your path leads to university, college, apprenticeship, the trades, employment, entrepreneurship, or another opportunity, begin preparing now. Your choices today can create opportunities for tomorrow.

And to our Grade 12 students: this is your year.

You are the senior leaders of Forest Lawn High School. You have an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. Your younger classmates are watching you. They are learning from the way you conduct yourselves, the way you treat others, and the way you approach challenges.

Make this year count.

Set ambitious goals.

Finish strong.

Get involved.

Lead by example.

And when you eventually walk across the graduation stage, I want you to be able to look back and know that you gave this school year everything you had.

To our returning staff, thank you for the work you do every single day for our students. Education is not simply about delivering curriculum. It is about relationships. It is about creating opportunities. It is about believing in young people, sometimes before they are ready to believe in themselves.

And to the staff members joining the Forest Lawn community this year, welcome to the Titan family. You are joining a school with incredible students, dedicated educators, committed support staff, and a community that cares deeply about the success of our young people.

We are excited about what you will bring to Forest Lawn.

As a school, we are also continuing to grow. We will continue to focus on student achievement, belonging, relationships, engagement, and preparing our students for the opportunities that come after high school.

But none of those things happen simply because they are written in a plan.

They happen because we choose to make them happen.

They happen when a teacher takes the extra few minutes to explain something again.

They happen when a student decides not to give up.

They happen when a friend encourages someone who is struggling.

They happen when someone notices that another person needs help.

They happen when we celebrate each other's successes.

They happen when we choose kindness.

They happen when we choose to be accountable.

They happen when we choose to be Titans.

This year, I want us to think about what it means to truly be part of a community.

Don't just come to Forest Lawn.

Be part of Forest Lawn.

Don't just attend your classes.

Engage in your learning.

Don't just walk through the hallways.

Help make our hallways a place where everyone belongs.

Don't just wait for opportunities.

Create them.

And don't be afraid to dream about what comes next.

Your story is still being written.

You may not know exactly where your life will take you. You may not have your future figured out—and you don't need to. High school is part of the journey of discovering who you are, what matters to you, what you are good at, and what kind of person you want to become.

There will be successes this year.

There will also be setbacks.

When you succeed, celebrate it.

When you struggle, seek support.

When you make a mistake, learn from it.

When someone else succeeds, celebrate them.

And when someone around you is struggling, be the person who reaches out.

That is what community looks like.

That is what being a Titan looks like.

As we begin this new school year, I challenge every member of the Forest Lawn community to think about one question:

What will I contribute this year?

Not just, “What will I get?”

But, “What will I give?”

What will you contribute to your classroom?

What will you contribute to your team?

What will you contribute to your friends?

What will you contribute to Forest Lawn?

Every person in this building has the ability to make a difference.

You do not need to be a student leader to lead.

You do not need a title to make a difference.

Leadership can be as simple as holding a door open, welcoming someone who is new, helping a classmate, standing up for someone, asking a thoughtful question, encouraging a teammate, or choosing to do the right thing when nobody is watching.

Those small actions build a stronger school.

And those small actions can have a much bigger impact than we realize.

So, Titans, as we begin the 2026–2027 school year, let's make this a year we can be proud of.

Let's make it a year of Pride—pride in ourselves, our accomplishments, and our school.

Let's make it a year of Respect—respect for ourselves, for one another, and for the community we share.

And let's make it a year of Responsibility—taking ownership of our choices, our learning, our relationships, and our future.

Let's challenge ourselves to be better than we were yesterday.

Let's support one another.

Let's celebrate one another.

Let's work hard.

Let's have fun.

Let's create memories.

Let's take advantage of the opportunities in front of us.

And most importantly, let's make sure that every student who walks through the doors of Forest Lawn High School knows one thing:

You belong here.

You are part of something bigger than yourself.

You are a Titan.

And together, we are Forest Lawn High School.

I am incredibly excited about the year ahead. There is so much potential in this building, and that potential is not found in the walls, the classrooms, or the hallways.

It is found in you.

Our students.

Our staff.

Our families.

Our community.

Together, we can make this an outstanding year.

So welcome back, Titans.

Welcome back to your classrooms.

Welcome back to your friends.

Welcome back to your teachers.

Welcome back to the challenges, opportunities, celebrations, and memories that will make this year unique.

Let's start this year with energy.

Let's start it with purpose.

Let's start it with optimism.

And let's start it together.

Welcome back, Forest Lawn High School.

Welcome back, Titans.

Let's make 2026–2027 our best year yet.

Pride. Respect. Responsibility.

This is our school. This is our community. This is our year.

Go Titans!