by Shelley Bennett
My brain is a mash up of student names, a new class to teach, and a list of things to do that hasn’t actually been written down yet. It’s dangerous territory and I’m struggling to focus as I sit down to write.
When a new school year starts, it’s not like dipping your toe into the water to get used to the temperature, it’s more like jumping of the high dive and being immediately engulfed into deep water.
This first full week of school contains home volleyball games, a Back-to-School assembly, home football games, and a Back-to-School dance, not to mention practices, lesson planning, grading, and making myself lunch.
It does feel a little like I’m drowning!
In the middle of this, I have some good news to share! ASB president Renee Delgado, student representative Sofia Bennett, and director of assemblies Danny Davidson have been working for a few months on a very cool collaboration between LHS and the City of Susanville.
We are helping the city market and gain subscribers for the Susanville Click-n-Fix app. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, take a minute right now to do it. It’s in your app store for both Apple and Android users. It’s a very handy little app that lets you report vandalism and maintenance issues within the city limits, pay your utility bills, and keeps you notified of city events, like the Farmer’s Market.
To kick off this partnership, the City has agreed to help us hold our Homecoming parade on Main Street. It will take place at 2:00 on Friday September 29th. LHS Alumni and community members are invited to join the festivities by sitting across from the high school, more info on specifically where coming soon.
I really appreciate the work of Dan Newton, Rob Godman, Jolene Arredondo, Ryan Cochran and their respective departments for taking this on. It is a tremendous amount of manpower and everyone involved is excited to do this for our students.
It was also a proud teacher/mom moment to watch Renee and Sofia present their ideas to the city council. The council, which consisted of Mendy Schuster, Thomas Herrera, and Russ Brown that night, enthusiastically gave their blessing and approval. I’m sure that Mayor Quincy McCourt and Kevin Stafford are onboard as well.
I remember watching the Homecoming parade on Main Street when I was about 4-5. My uncles, Scott and Beaver Simpson, both played football and so that’s where our family could be found on most Saturdays. It was chilly and I remember seeing my breath in the air as we waited for the floats to come down Main Street. My hands and face were sticky from the donuts we had picked up from the Towell’s across the street.
It’s just a little snapshot in time, but the magic and anticipation has stayed with me all these years. So weird that my classroom and desk is yards away from where I sat on the high school lawn taking it all in. Hmmm… full circle.
Another Homecoming memory I have is when I was a Queen Candidate in 1987. Stacey (Yarborough) Barnetche and I sat in on the back of one of the Shamrock Cadillacs as it cruised around the track. All of the royalty sat in these amazing cars and I would love to bring this tradition back as well.
If you have a convertible that you would be willing to drive in the Homecoming parade, let me know. At the least, I need four for what we are planning, at the most seven.
Homecoming has become associated with spirit days, assemblies, floats, and competition for so long that we forget what the word means. Homecoming is about coming home too and I want you all to consider this an invitation. To come home and make new memories.
Remember when news was ‘newsy’? When you read about weddings, family events and engagement announcements in the newspaper? If you have something that might be newsworthy, please submit it to [email protected] and I’ll do my best to include it here in “The Good Stuff.”
