Music, dancing horses, prayer part of Wahluke return

MATTAWA — The first day of the 2024-25 school year at the Wahluke School District started with an ecumenical prayer, many elementary students in new buildings and dancing horses outside Wahluke Junior High.

The prayer service featured pastors from several Mattawa churches and was designed to bring together people from all different traditions, according to information from Wahluke Superintendent Andy Harlow. Attendees gathered after school to say a prayer for the new school year.

District officials decided to reconfigure the district’s elementary grades, with Mattawa Elementary dedicated to kindergarten and transitional kindergarten, Saddle Mountain Elementary to first through third graders and Morris Schott Elementary to fourth and fifth graders.

“It was exciting to see all our staff and students in their newly reconfigured buildings,” Andy Harlow wrote.

Schools held assemblies during the school day and open houses in the evening. Junior high students were treated to a performance from dancing horses as they arrived at school. Autumn Harlow, a WJHS administrator, said school officials had the help of Timoteo Tinoco, Mattawa, who organized the performance. Some owners live in Mattawa; others were from out of town, she said.

Junior high administrators tapped the district DJ, Avel Tapia — or DJ Tapia — to spin some tunes outside as the children arrived at school.

“Our goal was to make it the best first day ever,” Autumn Harlow wrote.