School president Fr. Christopher Fronk, S.J. and principal Peter Kernion ’90 greets students and welcomes them back to Jesuit.

The Jesuit High School community came together at Friday Morning Assembly (Aug. 16) in Traditions Courtyard to hear two addresses that set the tone for the 2019-2020 school year. With seven periods of classes ahead, Blue Jays lined up with their respective homerooms in orderly fashion. After opening prayer and the Pledge, students saw the normal progression of assembly before school principal Peter Kernion ’90 and Jesuit president Fr. Christopher Fronk, S.J. took to the podium.

At Jesuit, “it is our intention to challenge you in this age of instant gratification and to help you understand the value of working hard, engaging and working with others, facing adversity head on while dealing with failure, and becoming an independent young man,” Kernion asserted. 

Before highlighting some of the ongoing capital projects around campus, Fr. Fronk rallied the crowd of students with his signature “Good morning!” welcome. After his subtle yet necessary start to his address, Fr. Fronk continued the trend of getting students involved in the spirit of Morning Assembly, a longstanding school tradition. He then stressed the importance of the school’s mission as more than something that is just written on a brochure, but rather as ideals to attain together as one student body. “I want us to be conscious about it this year, to really think about what it means to be a man of faith and a man for others. And remember, we do that together. It’s not a competition. We all want to succeed.”

Watch the Opening Address by Jesuit principal Peter Kernion ’90.

Watch the Opening Address by Jesuit president Fr. Christopher Fronk, S.J.   

Pre-freshmen Jackson Freaner, Nicolas Navarro, and Omar Hassan exit the 4th floor hallway after their first full day at Jesuit.

And they were off. The flow of the first day of school was underway with joyful images of students seeing their former teachers for the first time since last school year, new students running into their Big Brothers in the hallway, and Blue Jays of all grade levels meeting new friends in the classroom. By lunch, the Student Commons was as noisy as it is during Rivalry Week; and the cafeteria was as busy as it is during Taco Tuesday.

When the final bell sounded, it marked the end of Day 1 and the beginning of the weekend. Starting the year on a Friday has its perks as students can use the weekend to take everything in, gather school supplies, and prepare themselves for their first full week. 

Before they know it students will be attending club and team meetings, going to the Back to School Dance, and signing up for Welcome Week events.