Congratulations to the Class of 2021! It’s difficult to believe your four years at LW West have ended. It seems like it was just yesterday that you entered West as freshmen, and now, in the blink of an eye, you are ready to leave us all behind. What a unique four years it’s been for you; you will be fondly remembered by our staff for a variety of reasons. Obviously, we won’t forget that your class never attended West for the fourth quarter of your junior year due to the quarantine. All the hype about the SAT was forgotten as we were forced to stay home due to COVID-19. We will sadly remember that your class missed out on nearly all social aspects of senior year. Of course, the biggest anomaly regarding your senior year that we will forever talk about is the fact that most of you came to school every other day, or you learned from home. Who would have ever predicted that? Although it’s easy to think about the negatives of what COVID-19 has forced upon you, I prefer to remember you as the true leaders of our new normal—hand washing, curbside pick-ups, proper facemask wearing, social distancing, face-timing, and hand-sanitizing. You’ve been excellent leaders of our school during unique times. Thank you for all you’ve done to make LW West an excellent school; I’ve taken great pride in being your principal. Be sure to come back and visit us.

Sincerely, Dr. Schmitt