18 months ago our world changed and with that ourselves, our school, and our community. One month into the brick and mortar building and we have slowly begun to rebuild and reconnect. Still, it is important to remember what we have experienced this past year when looking towards our future here at Rush. Many of us have spent the past year struggling with indescribable loss, unemployment, isolation, and lousy wifi. We have endured all that to be back here today. We did what was necessary for the safety of our community and for the world and now we have the privilege of being all together again in our school.

Attending school in person was a blessing this year for many. However, that does not negate the fact that we are all still adjusting to a drastically different learning environment. Growing pains are to be expected when 75% of our student body hasn’t completed a full year inside our school building. We are even welcoming a new principal, Dr. Bailey and assistant principal, Ms. Henshaw. The transition may be awkward at times but it offers Rush a really unique experience to rebuild and reimage our school values. We need to be intentional during transition when it comes to what we want to achieve and the environment we want to cultivate. We need to prioritize the safety of our staff and students. Masks must be worn, Students must social distance and guidelines must be followed. The stakes on our safety could not be higher but the result if we all can share this year with each other will be beyond worth it.

This week all students will have the opportunity to attend club fair. The Palette’s own News Club will be looking for new writers, journalists, and photographers. You can also find information for other clubs and extracurricular activities that will be forming this year. This is a perfect way for students to be immersed in our school community and engage with other students. The Club Fair will be held in the gymnasium during advisory. On Thursday, October 7th freshmen will attend, Friday, October 8th sophomores will attend, and Tuesday, October 12th juniors will attend. Seniors who wish to attend can ask their advisor on whichever day suits them best.

Regardless of involvement in after school activities there are many ways to actively participate in our school community. Our school’s performances and showcases are some of the most anticipated events for students and faculty. Look out for our upcoming article reporting on the Haspanic Heritage Month Assembly. Many student-led performances and information would be presented during this assembly that will engage all students. We at the Palette are dedicated to recording all school functions and documenting the constant evolution of The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush

Written By: Molly McCaffrey