As most of you know your Association does not take off the summer months like some country cultures or educational institutions. We would like to channel the Bill Belichick, ‘no days off’ mantra but we all need a break from time to time. High school sports do get a break but are back at it soon.

We are always on high alert for English High’s plans for 2023-24’s upcoming teams sports. Here is some of what we are looking forward to:

Exciting Sports on the Way

English Football opens the season with three non-city league games, Dracut, Hull and Lynn Tech and we are hoping for a ‘threepeat’ victory over Latin in November

Girls’ Basketball looking to get off to a good start.

Boys’ Basketball hopes to return to the State tournament (last year’s Elite Eight was a highlight)…returning some starters.

Girls Volleyball looks to rebound to a strong year also.

Boys’ Baseball we hope returns to the State Semifinals; this time to win and become State Champs for the first time ever! Although graduating 4 seniors who are attending baseball colleges, Coach Christian Ortiz says, ‘Mike, we will be better in 2024!’

Support our ‘Blue and Blue Wear” Campaign

When following school activities, we are always looking for ways to support our school teams and each student with ‘Blue and Blue Wear’. Just recently we delivered an Apparel Appeal letter to many regular donors for help in raising $21,000 for:

• English High Tees Shirts for each student for ‘culture building’
• Sports earners of varsity E will receive sport-specific sweatshirts
• All varsity football members who finish the season by beating Latin will receive sweatshirts. This would represent a ThreePeat!  A first!

Happy to report as of this writing, we are half way to our goal and funds are still coming in. This is a two-year program, so if you did not receive a letter and want to jump on this bandwagon, we’d love to count you in.

You might remember how thrilled we were to get ‘school stuff’ when we were students. Today’s students love tees and sweatshirts. My senior year I remember a white and blue lightweight spring jacket we got, very simple design but I wore it with pride.

Our Needs Don’t Take A Vacation

Many of you have been very generous this year and in the past. We thank you! But your alumni office needs your ongoing support. Our four pillars of fundraising — Scholarships, Tutoring Center, Career Pathways, Music/Arts Programs — we’ve mentioned before; but now we’re asking for a non-restricted gift. This means support for our alumni activities as myriad as they are:

• Our 200^th Anniversary Gala event for 350 alumni and friends
• Alumni Breakfast events for reconnecting and strengthening our common bonds
• Daily maintenance and updating of our database with 17,000 English High alumni.
• Providing current school events and supporting student recruitment efforts
• Fielding alumni inquiries and requests
• Writing alumni letters for recommendations and condolences
• Scholarships coordination
• Monthly Alumni Newsletters for two years now

These are but a small sample of some of our activities which get taken for granted. In our uncertain times it’s especially comforting to have an English High alumni name and face to turn to. So, if possible, you can help us continue our mission to help our Alma Mater by helping The English High School Association — the official association of English High Alumni — your alumni association. Your generosity completes the funding circle to sustain English High. We send a warm “Thank You” to all those who have given already. We encourage those on the sidelines, to join the challenge of supporting the oldest and first pubic high school in America!

For your Alumni office, no days off!

Best regards,

Mike Thomas, ’67
President & CEO
The English High School Association
mthomas@englishhighalumni.org