1st day of school - 9th and 4th grade

M has officially joined me at the high school.  He's in 9th grade.  (and he actually SMILED for photos!) I went in early the 1st morning to wrap-up some things in my classroom, so he rode to the school with a neighbor and her son.  I caught the two boys walking into the building.  :)  

We have a new principal (still not sure what happened to our princiPAL who had been with the high school for 4 years.  He was principal of the year for the state of Georgia last year and was in the top 5 in the nation!)  But... something happened and in early June, he was gone. 

With the new principal, we had something new this year:  they had a pep rally as soon as the students walked in. 

We were all lined up in the rotunda at the entrance creating a line of teachers on either side to guide them to the main staircase. and down to the gym. 

Those riding the bus had a line of teachers at the bus entrance doing the same. 

I'm starting my 3rd year at the high school.  (starting my 9th year of teaching - 7 1/2 of those full-time.)  

Because I started at the high school during Covid, I had not seen an (indoor) pep rally school-wide. I have no idea where Mercer and his friend were in that mass of over 2000 students.   It was a LOT.  A bit overwhelming!

After the pep rally, we got things started and ran through classes the rest of the day.  From what I could tell - the day went well for Mercer, his friends and my teacher-colleagues.

And - the seniors REALLY did well on the annual TP=rolling the night before school starts.   They did a much more thorough job than the seniors from last year. Yikes!  (but was TP still in shortage last year?)

Top photo of the building is the performing-arts center.

Middle photo is the main entrance.

Bottom photo is the building I work in at the far end of camps.

These are screen shots from a video I took driving in before the sun came up.

When I left at the end of the school day, I caught a glimpse of this poor tree.  It is COVERED!

Isabella's day sounded like it went well too. She's in 4th grade. She was happy to see her friends.  

Last year when she rode the bus (before she stopped abruptly due to her instinct about Covid), she and I would walk the half a block home past 2 gardens and look at butterflies, hummingbird moths, and bees. We did the same yesterday - and again when I met her at the bus today. 

The less formal pics here are at her meet-and-greet.  She is EXCITED to be back at her "advanced academics" school.  Whew!  (We weren't sure if she would actually go back because she was in class with another strong-willed girl she butted heads with; at the end of last year, she wanted to go back to her home elementary school.  But with the help of the school counselor and principal approval for placement in a different class.... she's ready to roll.

She said tonight that she hopes this is her BEST school year yet!

That is my hope too.