Homecoming

When I first sat down with Mrs. Neve I was immediately greeted by her welcoming smile and eagerness to hear my questions. I first asked her about what a lot of people have been asking about: the revival of the Exeter High School Homecoming Dance. Though Mrs. Morse is primarily taking charge of organizing that event, we can credit Mrs. Neve with discussing the idea with our new superintendent, Mr. Andriski.

“It was actually more simple than it seemed,” she said. Mrs. Neve was inspired by members of the Exeter community who had shared their desire to bring Homecoming back. Along with that, her daughter, who is currently a sophomore at EHS, had been hearing thoughts from her peers, wondering why Exeter, unlike many other American high schools, didn’t have a homecoming dance. Mrs. Neve knew that Homecoming was a highly requested event among students and even teachers, so she worked on getting that re-implemented. Mrs. Neve said she believes that “the concerns about bringing [Homecoming] back were valid” but that the students at EHS “deserve a chance to prove themselves.”

Just Starting Out

Even though Mrs. Neve has experience from different schools of different levels, I was wondering if there was anything specifically about Exeter that she found shocking when she first arrived. “I was kind of shocked to see how great everything already was.” Mrs. Neve said that she just worked on finding things to improve or make easier but for the most part, nothing has been surprising or scary.

I then asked Mrs. Neve about some of her main goals for Exeter. She explained her passion for helping high school students: “my heart belongs with secondary school.” She continued by saying how this was the students' last few years as kids. Mrs. Neve informed me that her main goal with high school was to help students make memories while also helping them succeed and get involved in the community. She told me that because these are students’ final years of childhood, it’s important to create those lasting memories.

Many know of the changes occurring at Exeter in this time of transition, for instance the aforementioned new administration team, but when asked about any challenges that may have presented, Mrs. Neve replied by saying that “everyone really gets along and works well together... we’re all coming from different jobs in education with different strengths and perspectives that we all bring to the table.” She did, however, mention that because everyone is relatively new, it can be difficult to know the full context for previously-made decisions. Nevertheless, she is sure that they will be successful in making the Exeter experience better for all members of the community.

The Phone Ban

Everyone is surely aware of the new state law banning cell phones from school campus from between the first and last bell. Obviously, because this is a state law, there isn’t much the administration can do about it besides enforce it: “most students are compliant because they know there’s nothing we can do” Mrs. Neve told me. She also informed me that it can be difficult for the admin team because they may not all necessarily agree with the policy, but have to implement the ban anyway. “Phones are real, [and] they’re not going anywhere,” she said.

There will be an approved protocol created at a meeting in October but until then, the unofficial procedure is to first issue a warning, followed by the phone being taken to the commons for the day, and finally being taken to the commons until a parent or guardian can pick it up.

What Else?

Because students are aware that Mrs. Neve and the new administration has the power to bring back former traditions, there have been many new requests to bring back previously denied activities. While many want these events to be revived, many just aren’t an option. Mrs. Neve explained how a lot goes into implementing each idea: “it’s not that we don’t want to, it’s just not possible right now.” She told me how each idea will be worked on, but not everything can happen right away. She also reminded me that because a lot of the administration is new, it can be difficult to fully understand why an idea was rejected in the first place, and not having that context can make those decisions more difficult. But she assured me that they always try to grant these requests.

I then asked if there were any traditions that she wanted to bring from her other schools to Exeter. She told me “Of course, but it’s all about finding what’s right for this community.” She explained that there were so many memories she cherishes from her past schools, but she doesn’t want to implement something that the EHS community doesn’t want. Mrs. Neve continued, saying that she tries to listen to the desires of students and families to fully understand what they want and need.

A Cheerleading Team?

I finally asked Mrs. Neve about the possibility of a cheerleading team, to which she told me that she doesn’t know the full history but she would be open to looking into it. She informed me that a lot goes into creating a sports team. For example, every cheer team needs to participate in the competition at the end of the season, which is a very high level of cheer. It would also need its own coach, which would need to be added to the budget.

She told me that if Exeter were to start a cheer team, it would most likely start out as a club so that the cheerleaders can get used to the routines and the coach can understand what works for Exeter, then build its way up to a competitive NHIAA-recognized cheer team..

She also explained that allocating money in the budget for a new coach, uniforms, supplies, etc. would take a year to get approved. It would also require changing the fall sports schedule to fit cheerleading practice.

Fundamentally, a cheer team would be a lot of work for Exeter, but as Mrs. Neve has demonstrated, she and the rest of the administration are willing to put in the effort if they know that’s what Exeter wants. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we will get a cheer team instantly (or at all).