The Arcadia High School (AHS) Back to School Night took place on Aug. 31, serving as an opportunity for parents and staff to come together and preview the students’ 2023 and 2024 semesters. Parents had the unique opportunity to follow their students’ school schedule. The school decided to incorporate the bell and included a seven minute passing period.  

The night commenced with an opening performance by the AHS Marching Band. At 6 p.m., the bell rang, signaling the start of the first period. Parents spent 10 minutes in each class. For some parents, this meant hurrying during the passing period from J-Building to G-row to avoid being late.

In between periods, parents and students had the opportunity to enjoy delicious food and dessert from food trucks.

Students from Seniors of Merit at Work (SMW) worked on campus to assist parents if they needed help finding their child’s class or had any questions. Senior Audrey Baltazar, a student in SMW, talked about her experience that night. 

“Back to School Night was definitely a lot less stressful than I expected,” Baltazar said. “Although the experience was a little busy, I was able to enjoy it because of my fellow SMW members.”

This semester, Arcadia welcomed numerous new teachers who experienced their first ever Back to School Night at AHS. Ms. Cady Giles is currently teaching both sophomore college prep and honors English, and she expressed her experience about Back to School Night as a new teacher.

“It wasn’t necessarily tiring; I was just nervous because I didn’t really know what to expect from these parents,” said Ms. Giles. “The highlight was probably the parents laughing at my jokes.”

Ms. Giles also expressed her appreciation for the strong parent participation at AHS, discussing how it provides valuable insights into ways she can better support the students. Similarly, Mr. Mike Pasqua, the social science and criminal and civil law teacher, spoke highly of the event. When asked about his thoughts on the Back to School Night, Mr. Pasqua gave positive feedback.

“I think it’s a good opportunity because then parents might show a little more empathy for what the students have to deal with,” Mr. Pasqua said. “They might get a feel for what these demands in Honors and AP classes are really like on a regular basis.”

The annual Back to School Night helps to forge an extraordinary connection between staff and parents.

Photo Courtesy of AUSD DCI