Pike County High had its first-ever Back-to-School pep rally on August 9th. All students reported to the gym at the first bell and sat with their class in the bleachers. They were introduced to the 212 Degree concept via an inspirational video and were challenged to join the faculty in turning it up a degree this school year. Next, Mr. Wright introduced his "team," and the teachers ran out to cheering, fist bumps and high fives from Mrs. Whitaker and fellow "teammates." The band belted out the fight song, and everybody joined in the excitement of the new school year.
Theater students under the direction of Mrs. Clifford performed a brief skit to illustrate appropriate school dress according the Code of Conduct, and then Mrs. Sullivan shared a Power Point presentation that highlighted the highs and lows of ASPIRE scores from Spring 2016 testing. Cameron Vance and Joe Sellers, the highest scoring students on the ACT, were brought center court and praised for their performance on the test. Then, Freshman Andres Burney ran out of the locker room to show how hard work and persistence pay off by dunking the basketball. After a failed first attempt, he slammed the ball through the net providing a visual to accompany Mrs. Sullivan's slogan, "Get rid of the blame, and get in the game!"
Coach Fred Holland introduced the Bulldog football team, and after watching Ms. Goss's highlight video from last season, everyone was fired up for the upcoming season and game against rival Charles Henderson. The pep rally ended with everyone singing the Alma Mater led by Mrs. Johnson and heading to homeroom—ready to go the extra degree and have a GREAT school year!