Arcadia High School (AHS) hosted its annual Back to School Night on Aug. 29, where parents were able to get insight on how their child’s daily schedule works, get to know the high school campus a little better, and meet the many teachers on campus. The event also had two food trucks in the rally court, where tacos from Chano’s and Kono shaved iced were offered to the attendees. 

The night first started with the AHS marching band performing a preview of songs that will be showcased at later school events. These events include the Fall Ensemble, football home games, Festivals of Bands, and more. After the performance was over, the first bell for period 1 rang. Some parents even had to experience the long walk to J-Building. Many parents who didn’t have their child to guide them made sure to ask questions and get directions from the Seniors of Merit at Work (SMW), who were stationed all around campus.

Once parents made it into their child’s class, they were welcomed by the teachers and asked to sit down so teachers could begin their presentation

“I am feeling very excited; I’m looking forward to meeting some parents and telling them about our progress so far in the choir and also brief them on what’s upcoming in our program in the upcoming year,” said Ms. Connie Tu, AHS choir teacher.

Teachers prepared slideshows introducing their class, expectations, and some personal information about themselves. After 10 minutes, the bell for the next period rang, and parents were off again to find their child’s next class. 

Back To School Night was very beneficial for parents who attended this event. With people from SMW, guiding lost parents around and teachers sharing the necessary materials for students, many parents left with more knowledge than they had before.

“Back To School Night at AHS is a lot different than the one from Foothill Middle School (FMS), I mean I didn’t really expect the bell schedule and the rushing into classes. But I actually quite enjoyed this format. I feel like I understand my daughter’s teachers a lot better and clearly understand the expectations.” said Elise Chau, freshman Britney Chau’s mother.

This event was not only helpful for parents but also students, it allowed freshmen to talk about their experience in AHS so far. After hearing from his teachers and parents, freshmen Byron Lei shared his feelings about high school.

“I have mixed feelings about school. Hearing these teachers talk, it’s so much different than middle school. Middle school and high school is a big jump and the workload is more than I expected. I really don’t know how to feel,” said Lei. 

Though many students still felt a little nervous about school, many have already set goals and things that they are excited about.

“For this school year, I’m looking forward to getting good grades, having a good time, and learning new things about this school, since it’s still very new to me,” said freshman Jake Tieu. “I’m also excited to make new friends and make new relationships.”