Clovis Unified School District begins new year

Whether you're looking forward to your first year in high school or your last, there's always excitement and pictures on the first day of school.

That includes parents, who join their students to get their final snapshot.

Buchanan High's hallways were splashed in school colors, eagerly awaiting the arrival of new students.

Chief Communication Officer Kelly Avants says Clovis Unified School District welcomed back more than 43,000 kids Monday morning.

That includes students at its newest elementary school.

"The Hirayama Heat opens this year, named after a beloved local Japanese-American figure, Satoshi Hirayama," Avants said.

RELATED: Grand opening held for CUSD's Satoshi Hirayama Elementary School

This year, CUSD's theme is "Building on the Legacy."

"That really is a call for us to look at our past to build into the future and make sure that we are doing our absolute best to support our students and their academic success," Avants said.

Across town at Jefferson Elementary School, hundreds of students gathered to watch the annual "Ringing of the Bell," which officially kicks off the school day.

Superintendent Corine Folmer was in attendance and says she's looking forward to this year after meeting with the entire educational team last week.

"The energy, the pride and excitement of our staff to serve our students, it just makes my heart full as we go into this year," she said.

New this year -- the district is rolling out an app called Parentsquare in hopes of streamlining communication from the district.

Parents are asked to keep any eye out for an email asking them to activate their account.

Superintendent Folmer says as the new year officially starts, she's looking forward to what's to come.

"Our mission is to develop our kids in mind, body and spirit, and it is such a priviledge to get to watch what our amazing students are able to accomplish in a year," she said.

There will be a lot more traffic and students walking to and from school, so be sure to slow down in school zones.

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