Principal's Message

Sailor Nation,

I hope the summer is treating everyone well and that you are soaking in the sun… and the downtime. As we approach Newport Harbor’s 93^rd year, before the tyranny of the urgent takes over, I ask you to indulge me. I’d like to share a personal story that offers perspective on the challenges we face as a community.

My father was a young boy when World War II started. His earliest memories were of underground London during German air raids—one bombing siren after another. His biological father drank himself to death because of wartime experiences, and his stepfather was a Naval Officer during the war.

He endured some of the harshest trials any child might face, yet he went on to serve as a pilot in the Royal Air Force; he was based in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from 1955 to 1960. His service was just another series of challenges that are difficult for most of us today even to comprehend; he flew cargo to resupply the fading British Empire in an age without trustworthy weather reports, let alone GPS.

My father was proud of his British roots, and I grew up listening to his stories. His lived experiences were vast, he possessed a natural love of fellow humans, and the theme that emerged again and again in his stories was this: He embraced the bumps in his road, and he valued his hardships even more than his successes.

I was born in Hong Kong and I learned early on that there is a limitless, rich world out there; the only way to access and appreciate it is to stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone, expose yourself to the unfamiliar—and never to stop learning along the way. I was a very fortunate kid: By the time I reached high school, my father had taken me to many corners of the planet.  

On one of his business trips, we were strolling the streets of Berlin. I recall stumbling on an uneven sidewalk, catching myself, and continuing our conversation. My Dad stopped me and gestured to the ground behind me, “Look down, Sean.”

I did. A small bronze square etched with names, dates, and words I could not read was embedded in the stonework of the walkway.

The Germans have a word for these: Stolpersteine. “The stones we stumble upon.”

There were stumbling stones all around us as we walked; once I recognized one of them, they all become very obvious. Indeed, if you walk around the streets of most German cities enough (and many other European ones, for that matter) you will inevitably stumble upon the bronze markers as you go about your day.

I learned that the date on the Stolperstein refers to when a person (or family) was forced from the nearby home. The destinations and fates of those commemorated are also inscribed. No German walking through a German city can avoid remembering. And the effect is a constant reminder of our shared humanity.

The stumbling stones are an elegant answer to the question of what a society can do about its historic sins. Never forget—but remember without wallowing in shame or blaming. Acknowledge the wrong—and commit to doing better. Listen to the anguished—and learn from our mistakes.

We’ve heard it from coaches, teachers, mentors, experts, and everyone between: Failures are inevitable. Success and happiness depend on how you deal with those failures. If you learn from them and grow stronger, you’re on the right track.

This is true for individuals, such as the student who struggled to keep up during distance learning. It’s true for Germany as it copes with the legacy of the Holocaust. It’s true for our school, which is a human institution. It’s true for California. It’s true for America.

As George W. Bush observed, “A great nation does not hide its history. It faces its flaws and corrects them.”

We don’t need Stolperstein to remind us of the many failed responses to the pandemic, but we at NHHS have learned and adapted over these last three years.  Recall, despite the challenges of the return to campus a year ago, there were far more victories than anyone could have expected. Now[MA3] , we are entering the fall of 2022 with a full head of steam for the first time in three years. I’m very excited about what’s to come!

Newport Harbor High School is a special place.

As I begin my tenth year, I reflect on what an honor it is to serve this community. For the first time in a long time, I sense that our halls and classrooms will explode with energy and life on August 22 and that the Sailor Spirit and PRIDE that fills our campus each day will buoy us through the entire year.

Enjoy these last three weeks of the summer. Read a book (or two). Wander aimlessly with a friend. Enjoy the beach. Tell someone you care about them. Eat ice cream on the boardwalk. Watch the sunrise. See you in a couple of weeks for the 93^rd school year at Newport Harbor High School.  

And, as always… GO SAILORS!
 

Sincerely,

Sean Boulton