The lockers seemed to be a prime attraction when Vale Middle School held its open house for students and parents.
The middle school students got their locker assignments when checking on Thursday, Aug. 15.
When one student had trouble getting her locker to open, a teacher stepped in.
“Sometimes, you have to give it a little hip action,” the teacher advised.
She demonstrated, smacking her hip into the locker door, popping it open.
Another enterprising student was at work modifying her locker. She was adding temporary shelving, clearly a sign she expected to be stowing more than the standard shelving would hold.
The hallways buzzed with seventh and eighth graders, catching up with friends or leading parents to classrooms.
At the check-in was a sobering reminder of the challenges that modern teens face. A table at the entry featured a free packet of class supplies. They shared space with fliers discussing bullying, suicide and time management. One school official said the fliers helped coax such issues out of the shadows, to free kids to discuss them.
The school this year has a new principal, Kayla Roberts. She staged near the front entry, monitoring the event and chatting with parents.
Down the hall, CTE teacher Zach Knapp advised students he had some interesting projects ahead.
“This is the fun room. You ready?” he said to two boys.
They seemed ready. The first day of school was Monday, Aug. 19, with 127 students enrolled.
Students check in at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)Mikayla Davilo talks with a teacher at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)Alondra Bueno-Magallanes checks in at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)Sierra Flores finds her locker at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)Chevelle Lee with Kevin Locke checks out her new locker at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)Principal Kayla Roberts (left) and Lisa Andersen, director of student success, greet students at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. Andersen was principal at the school last year. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)A student works the combination on his locker at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)Teacher Erica Jossi welcomes people to her classroom at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)Sierra Flores checks in at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)A motivational sign is on the wall of a Vale Middle School classroom. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)Students explore their classrooms and visit with teachers at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)Seventh and eighth graders move into their lockers and find classrooms at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)Flyers with helpful information on topics such as bullying and suicide await students at Vale Middle School during an open house on Thursday, Aug. 15. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)
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