The school held its annual Back to School Assembly today, August 18 in the large gym after fourth period.

The assembly featured Athletic Director Kim Cave, who recognized all athletes, as well as performances by both the dance and cheer teams. The cheer team was also recognized for the awards it won during its time at the USA Summer Camp for cheerleading at UC Santa Cruz.

History teacher Mike Messner received the Tireless Teacher award. He was honored for his dedication to his classes and his leadership in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club’s victory at the national level.

During the assembly, FBLA was recognized for its achievements over the summer–taking home first place in Entrepreneurship. FBLA President senior Jasmine Xu said that the club participates in competitions at the regional, state and national level.

The assembly also featured science teacher Greg Stoehr’s talks about the recycling program. With the recent addition of the color coded trash cans, Stoehr explained that the blue bins will be used for recyclable trash, while the larger green bins will be used for organic products.

At the end of the assembly, representatives from all grades participated in the traditional tug-of-war competition. The Senior Class beat out the Freshman Class, the Junior Class and the faculty to win the Spirit Stick.

“Even though the assembly was shorter than normal, I still think we did a great job,” ASB Secretary junior John Lee said. “We improved the efficiency.”

The assembly incorporated recognition of the recycling program alongside its customary performances and speeches.

“I liked watching the tug-of-war contest, though it was disappointing to see the freshmen lose,” freshman Charles Lien said.

[photos by Amelia Evard]