New Hope-Solebury School District hosted its first-ever districtwide pep rally on Oct. 14, welcoming all 1,300 students from kindergarten through 12th grade to join together on its brand-new turf field. Students enjoyed activities designed to engage all ages, including a dance-off contest between their school buildings, a students versus teachers tug-of-war, and a cheer led by the high school’s student government leaders.
“Within our small district, we want our students to enjoy the same positive experiences that many of us recall from our own school years – experiences often associated with larger schools. The pep rally was a chance for students to celebrate their school community, the joys of camaraderie, and to reignite their sense of school spirit following two very challenging years with the pandemic. We also hope this will further encourage their participation in our sports and activities, which we know deepens the educational experience,” said Superintendent Charles Lentz.
The pep rally began with the national anthem performed by the high school’s Chamber Choir, fight songs from the New Hope-Solebury Band, and a charge and cheers for the three Lions teams prepping for their games led by teachers and guest emcees, Jim DiTulio and Richard Curtis.
“Our athletes competing that night had the chance to run out on to the turf to cheers from our entire school community. It was inspiring to have our youngest students there to join the excitement and to see all that’s possible for them someday,” said High School Principal Patrick Sasse.
A valued addition to the day was a set of 1,300 rally towels – one for each student to wave proudly during their pep rally. These were donated by New Hope Helping, formerly the New Hope Community Association.
“For over 65 years, the New Hope Helping organization has been supporting the New Hope-Solebury School students in various ways. This year, we saw the New Hope School Rally Towels as a great way to support the NH-S teams and provide a meaningful way to literally cheer them on. Go Lions!” said New Hope Helping Vice-President Gary Karlsrud.
The LionFest celebration featured a full day of events, including three home games for New Hope-Solebury student-athletes with girls volleyball playing Central Bucks East, field hockey playing William Tennent, and football taking on Harriton for their homecoming game. There was also an evening carnival event with tables hosted by approximately 35 school organizations.
“It was thrilling to see our community come out in such larger numbers to show support for our students,” said Dr. Lentz. “We hope this is the start of an exciting tradition for New Hope-Solebury schools.”
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