To Alumni, Students, Teachers, and the entire Community of Friends of Classical High School:
With a sense of great privilege, I am beginning my term as the new President of the Classical High School Alumni Association. I have had the honor to be a member of the Board of Directors since 2015, when I first learned about the Association and its important mission. Like many of you, I know that my experience at CHS was transformational and helped chart a course that I could not have traveled without that comprehensive and inspirational educational foundation. You can check out my Board bio here.
My years at CHS taught me to think critically, to engineer bridges with students who graced the corridors and classrooms from all backgrounds and beliefs, and to reach beyond my neighborhood, city, and state towards the stars and beyond (and also not to end a sentence with a preposition). When the opportunity came to be able to say “thank you,” to help today’s academically qualified students meet the challenges of 2020 and emerge as the leaders of tomorrow for our local and global community, I jumped at it.
The mission of the Association is to provide support to CHS by: (i) preserving and maintaining the tradition of excellence at CHS; (ii) building and sustaining relationships among its alumni and friends; (iii) raising funds for activities of CHS and the Association; and (iv) enhancing the educational experience of current students at CHS.
There are many ways to achieve these goals. We can make donations directly to the Association to help support programs outside the school department’s budget, volunteer to share posts on social media, act as ambassadors by disseminating news of events at CHS and the Association, serve on committees, and promote collegiality and networking among our alumni. Our Board of Directors will be meeting soon to strategize how we can continue to address our mission in an effective, efficient, and meaningful way. We welcome all suggestions.
Many of our students today experience socio-economic challenges. We can help them achieve their full potential, as each one of us had the chance to do. To date, the Association has provided resources to support a range of academic and enrichment programs and activities, such as student field trips and cultural experiences, art supplies, musical instruments, athletic equipment, and holiday food and clothing drives. We must continue to do so.
In this venture, we are fortunate to have as our Executive Director, Jevonya Allen, M.A. ED, ’97. I look forward to working closely with Jevonya who shares our commitment to a tradition of excellence and pride.
The identity of CHS for excellence is continually at risk. I hope you will join with me, the members of our Board of Directors, our Executive Director, and our many generous donors and volunteers, as we strive to Keep Classical Strong.
Go Purple.
Susan Leach DeBlasio, Esquire ‘66
President