Orange County campuses ring in the 2023-24 school year with new and returning students

“Make today great.” “Spread happiness.” “You got this.”

These are just a few of the messages of encouragement students were presented with as they recently returned to campus and kicked off the 2023-24 academic year.

With Orange County school districts and charter schools coming back in session through September, schools are finding creative ways to hype up students about their classes and extracurricular activities.

Administrators, teachers and school staff organized festivities that included colorful balloons, school mascots and cheer squads to greet students and their families as they walked onto the school grounds. Some campuses even took part in a popular social media trend to show off their school spirit.

Superintendents and principals also shared welcoming video messages for the community, setting the tone for the year ahead.

In honor of the back-to-school season, here’s a roundup of social media posts created by local districts and charter schools as they celebrated the first day back. Stay tuned for more posts.