Lewiston High School Principal Jake Langlais delivers a personalized letter and a Class of 2020 yard sign via Facetime conversation with Josh Lane, not pictured, in Lewiston on Thursday. Lane was not home when Langlais stopped by, but Lane’s senior classmates Brandon Hough, center, and Jeremiah Williams, far left, were waiting out front and dialed up Lane. Langlais left the letter and sign with Lane’s mother. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
By the third day of delivering letters, the success rate had diminished.
Lewiston High School Principal Jake Langlais gathers Class of 2020 yard signs at the high school on Thursday. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
One address did not exist. One was to a vacant lot and another was to an occupied apartment building.
“I’m the owner of this building and nobody by that name lives here,” said the man on the second floor.
Lewiston High School Principal Jake Langlais got back in the van and drove to the next address on his list.
“I am determined to be the one to deliver these letters to these kids,” he said.
All 330 of them.
Langlais wrote personalized letters to every senior in the LHS Class of 2020. He is delivering them — “with a whole lot of help.”
With the athletic director driving, and navigation and organization help from deans, assistant principals and transportation directors, Langlais was able to deliver 112 letters Tuesday and 125 on Wednesday.
By Thursday, the stack of letters had gotten smaller, but Langlais was on his own. Many of the remaining addresses were the last known on school record, but not necessarily where the student is living.
“This has been part of the journey,” Langlais said, mentioning challenges that included apartment buildings with multiple ways in and addresses that are vacant lots.
“No speak English,” one woman said after Langlais asked if one of his seniors lived in the apartment.
“I have learned a lot this week,” he said.
Langlais is determined to make “eye contact” and hand each senior their letter. If the senior has met the graduation criteria, they will also get a sign for their front yard. The sign reads “Home of a Lewiston High School Graduate – Class of 2020.”
Lewiston High School principal Jake Langlais walks up to an apartment building where he had hoped to deliver a personalized letter and Class of 2020 yard sign on Thursday. The owner of the building said the student Langlais was looking for does not live in the building. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
If the student has a “shot at graduating,” but is missing a few bits of schoolwork, they will get a sign, an itemized list of what they need to do to graduate and a message that says “I believe in you.”
If a broken laptop power cord is preventing the student from making the grade he or she needs to graduate, well, Langlais’ got that covered too. He has a box full of extra cords to hand out.
Those students who will not meet the criteria to graduate will still receive a personalized letter.
Langlais said it will be early next week before he and his staff can find and meet face to face with each and every senior.
“I feel for the seniors that are living this,” Langlais said about their senior year being cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is no Top 10 luncheon, no senior prom, no senior barbecue. “I certainly don’t advocate for it, but there is no senior skip day either,” he said.
Lewiston High School Principal Jake Langlais looks toward the home of a senior where he had hoped to deliver a personalized letter and Class of 2020 yard sign Thursday. The student was not home, so Langlais will return over the next few days to deliver the letter and sign. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
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