Rialto High Spirit shines at freshman welcome rally

Nashelly Penafiel

On January 23, Link crew leaders hosted and organized the incoming freshman day and pep rally to welcome middle schoolers from the Rialto Unified District to Rialto High School.  

The purpose of this event was to introduce 8th graders to Rialto High's administration and to various clubs, programs, and sports offered on campus. Link Crew leaders organized and led activities with the help of ASB at several Rialto middle schools, including Jehue Middle School, Frisbee Middle School, Kolb Middle School, and Rialto Middle School. 

Jakob Castaneda, Link Crews advisor, details, “The planning process involved meeting with school administrators and district employees to figure out how many students were attending the event and what we wanted the outcomes of the day to be. From there, we were able to work with our Link Crew exec team to finalize all of the planning details for the day and work with our Rally Committee to plan the rally and bring their vision to life.”

The 8th graders arrived by bus and were welcomed at around 9:00 am by some of the Link crew leaders, then escorted to the gym. One by one, the bleachers were filled with hundreds of future knights. The theme that Link Crew created was “Roblox Vs Minecraft” with decorations all around the gym. 

During the rally, RHS principal Dr. Caroline Sweeney and RHS administrator Dr. Johanna Cuellar took time to introduce themselves and had some inspiring words for the class of 2030. NJROTC performed a colors presentation and an Exhibition drill, as well as the National Anthem, sung by Olivia Meza.

A photo taken from @Rialtohighknights Instagram of the pep rally

Followed up: we had other performances from Ballet Folklorico y Mariachi, Dance, Theatre, and Cheer. The pep rally also featured games inspired by the Pep rally’s theme, Roblox Vs Mindcraft. The games were Ore stacking and Red Light, Green Light. which the 8th graders could also participate in. 

Anyla Redmond, 11th-grade Link Crew leader, shared, “What went well in the rally was the middle schoolers playing the Minecraft box stacking games; a lot of the 8th graders seemed to enjoy it.” Dayana Guardado, 11th-grade Link Crew leader, said, “Many teachers from the middle schools came up to us and said it was really well organized and the kids had a fun time.” 

Throughout the day, Link Crew leaders helped guide students around campus, pick up their schedules, and participate in additional activities. The positive energy in the gym made a memorable experience for the 8th graders and the High school students who helped host the event.