TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — For Southern Arizona's largest district, the first day of school is still two weeks away, but some students are already back in the classroom.
"I'm going into Sophomore year. I really like getting involved at school and getting hands-on. It's really fun. You get to meet more people." said Cholla High School sophomore, Jasmine Maldjan.
K-1, 6-7 and 9-10 grade students had the option to sign up for Tucson Unified's Jump Start program. The district's new idea is bringing kids into their school to connect with teachers and classmates before the real learning begins.
"Last year was pretty traumatic for a lot of our students. A lot of students have not stepped foot on our campus. This is a really good way to get comfortable with campus, get to know each other and do team building activities. They'll also work on skills, so they are ready to go," Cholla High School assistant principal, Sharon Ingram.
The Jump Start program is offered at every TUSD school, for the next two weeks, four hours each day. At the high school level, students can earn a semester of credit by participating.
"I recently moved over here. There are a lot more programs and sports to do. I'm excited to try those," Cholla High School sophomore, Destiny Karas.
Overall, staff want students to feel confident walking into their first day on August 5.
"That's what we want. We want to get rid of any fear and make a family of ourselves," said Cholla High School social studies teacher, Judy Stoner.
For more information, visit tusd.org.
