Parents gathered in the quad awaiting remarks from principal Greg Louie to kick off Back to School Night on the evening of Sept. 7. This year marked the first time the event was held in person since 2020. 

At 5:45 p.m, many parents packed into the MAP Annex, attending an orientation for students in the MAP program. MAP 9 teacher Megan Laws said the turnout was even larger post-COVID.

“This year, there were MAP 11 and 12 parents who hadn’t gotten the opportunity to visit in person,” Laws said. “They got to tour the facilities such as the Multimedia Center and Media Room to see the environment their students had been working in.”

Following the MAP orientation, Louie introduced the administration and office staff in the quad, along with all the Booster presidents of various organizations on campus including sports, robotics and drama. The Booster presidents presented about their organizations’ updates, donation plans and more information on the upcoming year. 

At 6:10 p.m, the bell indicated the start of first period. The modified Back to School Night bell system continued throughout the night, with each period receiving 10 minutes for a short presentation, followed by a 5-minute passing period. Similar to previous years, teachers presented their syllabus, grading system and class expectations. 

Many teachers, including chemistry teacher Kathy Nakamatsu, were thrilled to have parents back in their classrooms. 

“Many parents introduced themselves to me, and I got to learn of sibling connections that I couldn’t during COVID years,” Nakamatsu said. “Being able to see everyone’s faces was really nice.”