The school year kicked off on Tuesday September 7 without a hitch… or, well, almost. The week was the usual ordeal of new classes, new students, readjusting to the school schedule, and a few firsts for Mason. Here’s a recap of the first week back in school.
- Where’s the chalk?
Seniors from the class of 2018 pose at the front of the school with their chalk decorations. The art was erased by the second day of school this year. (Photo courtesy of Clara Matton)
Any students returning to Mason are used to seeing the seniors’ chalk decorations covering the front sidewalk and steps, usually with the senior class’s slogan, the word “freshmen” written with big arrows pointing to the trash cans, and personalized parking spaces. This year, the chalk was gone after the first morning. Custodians were asked to have the obscene or inappropriate chalk removed, but everything was erased before the first day of school was over.
- More parking questions
It wouldn’t be a new school year without confusion over the parking lots. This year, students paid $250 each for a numbered spot in the lots, with seniors having first claim to the spaces and sales opening up to juniors later in the month. There have been ‘domino effect’ incidents with students parking in the wrong spot, thus causing another student to park in someone else’s spot and so on. While this issue has thinned out, the parking dilemma has shifted to another conversation.
- SCA assemblies
The first couple of weeks of school always mean a lot of time in the auditorium. The SCA organized a back-to-school assembly with information on Homecoming week, which is a month earlier this year. The freshman-sophomore assembly had a bit of a problem when the MYP coordinators took the stage to address the crowd – students booing and showing a strong dislike among the younger grades for the MYP program and project.
- Sports events
Several sports kicked off last week with their first games of the school year. A large student crowd turned out to watch Mason defeat Sidwell Friends 28-15 in their home opener. Mason’s field hockey team topped off Bishop O’Connell 3-0 at home on Monday, and the volleyball team won sent Pope John Paul home in three straight sets.
