A Colorado Academy tradition continued as CA Seniors kicked off the 2022-2023 school year by staging a raucous welcome for Ninth Graders on their first day as Upper Schoolers.
The theme for the event, “Constructing the Future,” was clear from the construction-zone makeover given to the entrance to the F. Charles Froelicher Upper School, where Twelfth Graders parked one of CA’s Bobcat loaders, scattered orange caution cones, and stood wearing reflective safety vests and matching hardhats. A slogan chalked on the sidewalk read, “Let’s nail it!”
As the Ninth Graders arrived, they received bright orange t-shirts and were ushered past lines of high-fiving Seniors who danced as music blasted. Cheers for each new Upper Schooler could be heard across campus.
“The tradition of having Seniors welcome Ninth Graders on the first day of school is one of the warmest I’ve seen in all my years working at schools,” said Upper School Principal Max Delgado. “Particularly heartwarming is that it aligns with the drop-off time for our Middle School students, meaning you have Sixth through Eighth Graders witnessing the festivities from the perimeter, in awe of the whole thing. They know it’s just a matter of time before it will be their turn to be welcomed—and of course, to someday do the welcoming!”