It’s that time of year again, folks. The time of year when students begin to reacquaint themselves with the hustle and bustle of the new school semester.

After a relaxing, fun-filled summer for many, it’s time to hit the books again. For some, like freshman, it is for the first time in high school, while for others, like seniors, for the last. And while it is fun to know that it will be a year jam-packed full of events such as Homecoming, Prom, and Friday Night Lights during football season, before any of those takes place, Back to School Night must occur.

Back to School Night for Paint Branch ran on September 15th, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. At the start of the event, from 6-7, the school arranged tables throughout the main foyer and around the Grand Staircase. At each table stood individuals and groups representing the diverse areas of study within the school: clubs available to students, the sports program, the administrative team, and other elements that make the school the kind of school that it is.

On the student-centered side, clubs ranging from Perspectives to the Environmental Club to our state-of-the-art Medical Careers Program provided information. Families who wished to learn more about their program stopped by their table.

Once the clock hit 7 p.m., parents began to flood into the building, some with their children in tow, making their way to their child’s homeroom class. From there, Dr. Yarbrough and the rest of the administrative team began their annual announcement to highlight important aspects of school, expressing to parents that Paint Branch isn’t just a school, but a community.

Once the bell rang, parents set forth on the journey that is their child’s schedule. In each class period, teachers had seven minutes – a change from the usual ten minutes – to explain to parents and families just what their course covers, their grading system, and other important aspects of their course. From syllabi to course descriptions, teachers went into varying degrees of depth about what their child will be doing in class. “It’s always great to meet the parents of my students,” Modern World History and Sociology teacher Mr. Cassis said. “It’s always a fun way to start the year.”

While Back to School Night certainly isn’t Prom or Homecoming or Friday Night Lights, it certainly is important in setting the tone for what’s to come for the 2017-2018 school year.