By Jennifer Osborn

Helix is back in the swing of things for the 2015-2016 school year. Classes began on Wednesday, Aug. 5, and parents and guardians were invited to attend Back-to-School night on Aug. 20, followed by Parent Shadow Day on Aug. 25. Both events offered families the opportunity to become more involved in their child’s education by meeting their teachers and spending a day experiencing the campus and classrooms. Helix offers these events twice annually — once in the fall term, then again in the spring.

One Book, One Helix 2015

This summer, all 650 incoming freshmen at Helix Charter High School received a copy of “I am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education and Changed the World.” Over the summer, students read the book and completed a creative project of their choice — ranging from paintings to performance pieces to letters to Malala — in response to the book and its message.

During the first weeks of school, teachers and staff engaged students in discussions and activities based on the book and its themes, focusing especially on the topic of education. The students’ projects were put on display in the library for the school community to view, and students and staff have gathered together before and after school for Malala-inspired events, such as a viewing of the documentary film “Malala: a Girl From Paradise.”

Helix chose “I am Malala” as its first One Book selection because of the book’s inspiring message about the importance of education and the positive response from students has been overwhelming. In their class assignments and their letters to Malala, many students have reflected upon the fact that they’ve always taken their education for granted, something they’ll not be so quick to do in the future.

Reading “I am Malala” has provided a powerful unifying experience for freshmen in their first weeks of high school and has led to many meaningful discussions between students and staff (who also read the book over the summer). The book has truly resonated with Helix students, and will likely be referenced far beyond students’ freshman year.

All-class picnic

The Helix High School Foundation and Alumni Association hosted the first-ever Alumni All-Class Picnic on Sunday, Aug. 16, and it was a big success. The event featured special guests, performances by the instrumental and vocal music programs, music from alumni members’ bands, a car show, a campus tour and representatives from graduating classes from the ’50s to the ’90s! Watch for details on the second annual picnic next summer.

The next event from the Alumni Association will be homecoming this month.

Record-setting end zone

The Highlanders are well-known for great performances on the football field, but this time, the field itself is the one making news. The turf on the field was recently replaced, and an intricate design displaying Helix’s official tartan has been incorporated into the end zone. FieldTurf, the company responsible for the design and installation of the turf, has named it “America’s most intricate end zone design” and has the field featured in a video on its website. Check it out at fieldturf.com or come see it in person at any of Helix’s home sporting events at Benton Hart Stadium.

Community Service

As a requirement for graduation, all Helix students must complete at least 40 hours of community service. Students take this requirement to heart, and graduating classes have been known to give tens of thousands of hours over the course of their four years at Helix. If you are an organization in need of volunteers, please contact [email protected].

—Jennifer Osborn writes on behalf of Helix Charter High School.