Summer at McKenzie: Preparing for a New School Year – The Campus Comes Back to Life

If you have stopped by McKenzie during the summer, you know our campus never really shuts down. Still, there is a noticeable shift that happens around the middle of August. After weeks of projects, cleaning, planning and preparation, the buildings and grounds begin to come back to life. The quiet of summer starts to fade, and it begins to feel like the start of a new school year.

We have reached that point.

Thank you to all of the families who participated in student registration this past week. Registration is an important milestone in our preparations because it gives us a clearer picture of the students we will welcome this year. With that information in hand, we can continue finalizing class rosters, student schedules, transportation routes, staffing, and the countless other details that go into a successful start to the school year.

This week brings another sure sign that a new school year is approaching: high school fall sports practices begin Monday, August 17.

For our student-athletes, coaches and families, that means football, volleyball and cross country are getting underway. Athletics are one of the first ways we see students return to campus in larger numbers, and there is something exciting about hearing whistles, bouncing volleyballs and conversations between teammates after a quiet summer.

Extracurricular activities are an important part of the educational experience at McKenzie. Students learn teamwork, perseverance, responsibility, communication, and leadership through participation in athletics and activities. They also build relationships and a stronger connection to their school, and that sense of belonging can make a difference in the classroom as well.

Our student-athletes won’t be the only ones returning.

Over the next couple of weeks, teachers and other staff members will begin making their way back into classrooms and workspaces. Some have been in and out throughout the summer, but as the first day approaches, classroom preparation, curriculum planning, professional learning, scheduling, and collaboration all begin to accelerate.

Meanwhile, the work we’ve highlighted throughout our Summer at McKenzie series continues. Our facilities and custodial teams are putting the finishing touches on summer projects and getting classrooms ready. Transportation is preparing for students to return to our buses. Nutrition Services is preparing to serve students once again, while our technology, office and administrative teams are working through their own back-to-school checklists.

Individually, these may seem like small pieces. Together, they create a school year.

Families can begin making that transition as well. With just over two weeks until the first day of school, now is a great time to start easing back into school-year sleep and morning routines, make sure registration information is complete, and talk with students about what they are looking forward to and their goals for the coming year.

Our next big opportunity to come together will be Meet the Teacher Night on Thursday, August 27. We look forward to welcoming students and families back to campus, reconnecting after the summer, meeting new members of our school community, and building excitement for the year ahead.

Then, on Monday, August 31, the 2026–2027 school year officially begins.

There is still plenty of summer left to enjoy, but you can feel the change happening. The buses, classrooms, gyms, fields, and hallways that have been relatively quiet for the past couple of months are getting ready to serve their real purpose again.

Our students are coming back.

And we couldn’t be more excited to see them.