The first bells of the 2024-2025 school year are about to ring, and Killeen ISD high schools made sure students were prepped and more ready than not.
Campuses across the district this week opened their doors and held high school readiness days, designed to provide students –– new and returning –– and parents a chance to ease into the new year, become familiar with their campus’ building, meet new friends, mingle with classmates and more.
For some students, it was an eye-opening experience. Clutching his first-ever high school class schedule during Ellison’s Eagle Launch on Wednesday, freshman Brayden Grady noticed one thing in particular while standing in the school’s foyer.
“It’s a big-ol’ school,” he said, adding that he enjoys playing basketball and is looking forward to starting at EHS after moving from Detroit.
The main objective for Eagle Launch was for students –– freshmen and juniors on Wednesday and sophomores and seniors Thursday –– to obtain their schedules and make sure there were no major issues, Diana Allred, Ellison’s student activities coordinator, said. Counselors were on hand to address any schedule concerns.
A separate event, Eagle Fest, specifically for freshmen, is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 12, from 1-4 p.m., when students can meet teachers, pick up an EHS shirt and check out the school’s spirit groups.
Speaking of spirit, incoming freshmen and new students at Harker Heights on Wednesday received a crash course in Knights pride as part of their readiness day orientation.
Led by the smooth, booming beats of the school’s drum line, and smiling, clapping and twirling cheer and dance team members on stage in the auditorium, parents and students were encouraged to participate in a dance commonly seen during football games. It certainly had everyone revved up and ready for Friday nights.
Readiness continued Thursday at Harker Heights for sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Chaparral on Wednesday welcomed incoming sophomores, juniors and seniors, who spent a chunk of their time making sure their identification card photos and information were to their liking and accurate. On Thursday, it was all about the ninth-graders, who had the opportunity to attend Cat Camp.
“I’m ready. I’m excited for football season to start,” said Chaparral junior Amairah Riley-Thompson, a varsity dance team member. “I’m ready to see all the faces and meet my new teachers. I haven’t seen a lot of these people, so it’s fun to get back and talk to everyone.”
Killeen High’s sophomores, juniors and seniors bustled about campus Wednesday afternoon, picking up schedules, signing up for parking permits, having their photos taken for new ID cards, and hanging out with friends. All that preceded Saturday’s Roo Round up that caters to incoming ninth-graders and is recommended for those students’ parents or guardians as well.
“It’s a little sad, but it’s also like ‘Wow, I made it to senior year,’” said Killeen High 12th-grader Yandier Delgado-Morales, who noted that he’s most looking forward to graduating with a trio of industry certifications after taking auto tech courses through the Career and Technical Education program at KISD’s Career Center.
While Delgado-Morales packed a lot into his first three years of high school, Shoemaker squeezed a lot of activity into a busy Thursday, including the regular readiness agenda plus a ninth-grade pep rally before noon.
It felt more like a halftime show inside the SHS gym, though, with performances from the band, cheerleaders and dance teams. Students in attendance heard from athletic coordinator and head football coach Toby Foreman, assistant athletic coordinator and volleyball head coach Merdith Shaw-Moore and members of the Student Council. All encouraged the freshmen to find a way to get involved.
And, naturally, it didn’t take long for a chance to get involved popped up as Coach Cion Hicks led everyone in the well-known Grey Wolves chant.
The first day of school is Aug. 14.
For more back-to-school information, visit: https://www.killeenisd.org/back_to_school.
Check out more high school readiness photos on our Flickr page: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBCKVa
