After greeting friends with hugs and screams of joy after a summer apart, students gathered on Monday morning for the opening Community Meeting of the 206-2027 school year. All of our staffulty, new and returning, had the opportunity to introduce themselves to our Dragons, sharing their answers to the prompt: "What is worth getting up early for?" Answers ranged from exercise and coffee to children and pets, and a few staffulty confessed that getting up early is... not exactly their strong suit, and are grateful Mid-Pen begins at a civilized 9:30am.

Then classes began, and students got their first taste of what the school year has in store. This year brings a lineup of exciting new courses, including The Secret Life of Molecules: Organic and Molecular Chemistry, and a new interdisciplinary US Studies class that digs into how personal narratives shape societal structures and the world we live in today.

The day wrapped up with the kickoff of fall sports practices, as Cross Country and Girls Volleyball hit the ground running (literally) with their first practices. Training has already begun, but there's still time for interested Dragons to join the team!

This year also marks the campus debut of our new Dragon logo. Vibrant, playful, and confident, the new Dragon is already making its presence known across campus, bringing fresh energy to the start of the school year.

For our staffulty, there's no better feeling than having everyone back on campus. We're thrilled to begin another year of learning, growth, creativity, and connection, and we can't wait to see what this year brings for our Dragons.