The Bartlesville Public School District will officially welcome back its student body for the 2008-09 academic year on Wednesday.
However, throughout this week, students have been on their respective campuses taking care of the registration process. On Friday, members of the incoming junior class at Bartlesville High School were lined up in the lobby of the Fine Arts Center finalizing details before they head to class next week.
“Everything went great today,” said BHS principal Chuck McCauley. “We're very excited about the upcoming school year.”
During the registration process at BHS, students were able to collect their bus passes and parking permits. They were able to go into the main building and find their respective classrooms and lockers as well. Seniors enrolled on Thursday.
Last year presented something of a challenge during the registration process at BHS. With work nearing completion on a new connecting link, heating/air conditioning system and the Library/Media Center, students registered in the Fine Arts Center lobby but weren't able to go into the main building. This year, virtually every area of campus will be accessible from the outset of the new academic year, though the new turf project at Custer Stadium is currently ongoing and nearing a finish.
“It's great to have all of the new facilities available to us here,” said McCauley. “The new connecting link allows for more safety as we can travel to and from any of the campus buildings without having to go outside. Also, we have plenty of new technology with areas such as the new Library/Media Center, which has a 32-station computer lab.”
The new Library/Media Center debuted at BHS in January.
The district will open the new academic year with its annual Back To School Rally, which is set to take place on Tuesday (10 a.m.) in the Fine Arts Center auditorium. Though the rally is focused on district employees, it is free and open to the public. LaDonna Gatlin, sister of the performers in the famed Gatlin Brothers band, will serve as the keynote speaker and main entertainer while the Bruin Brigade marching band and the Bartlesville cheerleaders, pom squad and color guard will perform as well.
The rally will be filmed and subsequently broadcast on CableOne Channel 17 from Aug. 15-19 beginning at 7 p.m. each evening.
The incoming junior class at Bartlesville High School went through the registration process on Friday in the lobby of the Fine Arts Center on the BHS campus.