Spirt Week...And All That It Entails

Well, we are near the end of the day 1 of Spirit Week, the day dedicated to the junior class. By all accounts, it was a good start to what will become an exhausting week for some. It is particularly exhilarating and tiresome for those closest to the action. I'm talking about the students that do the brunt of the work for their class, the class advisors, and parent chaperones that give so much of their time.

The juniors were well dressed this morning, spirited, and well behaved. Everything that I observed was done in good fun and appropriate for the setting. I can only hope the rest of the week goes as smoothly.

Tomorrow, the sophomore spirit will be on display with freshmen on Wednesday and the seniors on Thursday. However, the biggest day is reserved for Friday. On that day the entire school is usually adorned in blue/gold and the day is capped off with a pep assembly at the end of the day followed by the parade and game.

It was just short of ten years ago that we moved the game and parade away from Saturday afternoon. Although the decision was questioned by some at the time, I can't imagine those activities moving back to their original Saturday slot. After all, high school football is all about "Friday Night Lights".

Last Friday, for example, we had an overflow crowd at North for the annual North/South game. This game is a tradition that goes back almost 40 years, and has recieved acclaim as one of the best rivalries in the State of Michigan.

Fortunately, South was the victor this time because North has had our number for a few years. Remember, in order for a game to be a big rivalry, the competition must be pretty equal (just ask UM fans in regard to UM/OSU).

So we're hoping for a great week. If you or your sons/daugters are heavily involved in the Homecoming festivities, remember to pace yourself. It can too often be a week that requires significant recovery time if priorities get out of order. It's supposed to be fun, not exhausting. Enjoy...

So Far, So Good

It's nice to report a very successful beginning to the school year so far. As mentioned before, the building looks great. Even more importantly, the upbeat attitude and enthusiasm of both staff and students has been palpable.

Our first day, half of it spent with Freshman Seminar, was a great opening. We have heard many good things about the class of '14 from our middle school colleagues, and we have been more than impressed so far. They were quiet and polite when asked, yet excited and eager at the same time.

We can only hope this early success bodes well for the future for everyone.

Looking Good!

Well, here we are just a long weekend away before the students arrive. There is always a measure of excitement just prior to the beginning of a new school year, and that's a pretty good description of where we are right now.

For the past five days since the freshmen received their schedules, we have had many visitors daily as the new students mark a trail through the halls as sort of a dry run of their schedule. They have been observed practicing and re-practicing their locker combinations and getting the interior of their lockers ready for the crush of the new year. All of it is designed to avoid any pitfalls on the first day of high school (or embarrassment).

From our standpoint, we are very close to being ready. The custodians are buffing up the hallways, teachers are finalizing classroom decorations, and the contractors are putting the wraps on their projects. The building itself has never looked better in the my ten years at South. I can't tell you how much the lighting on the first floor of the main building improves the appearance.

Contractors are in the S-lot as I write installing the new fence that surrounds the lot on the boulevard side. They will work nearly the entire Labor Day weekend getting it ready for students and staff. Although the new gate is not likely to be installed by then, the rest of the lot looks 100% better than before.

A smaller project over the Labor Day weekend calls for refinishing the exterior doors to the main building. As many of you have noticed, they are weathered to the point they look unsightly. Most of the exterior doors should be finished by the time students arrive.

All in all, I think we're ready. There are still just over 120 students to register on Tuesday morning, but we have already processed 1530 students into the system for this school year.

In closing, I hope it has been a nice summer for everyone because at this point we are just about ready to plunge headlong into the school year.