FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Cheerleaders from Clovis Unified schools were on hand Tuesday morning to pump up teachers and staff as they walked into the Save Mart Center for a tradition many look forward to. Each year as summer vacation wraps up nearly 5,000 employees of Clovis Unified gather to celebrate the start of a new school year.
"It pulls the entire district together-- every area. It reminds us that we're an educational team and that we all work for the kids," said Randi Steel, Transition Coordinator Buchanan area.
This year's theme takes on the summer Olympic games. While the theme of the rally changes each year the vision for teachers and staff stays the same.
"It's something that we have been doing for years and years, and it really is just a show of our pride that we have, not only in our school and our Clovis West area, but also Clovis Unified School District," said Ryan Eisele, Kastner Intermediate School Principal.
Eisele is the principal of Kastner Intermediate School. The hard work of his staff earned his school one of the several awards handed out during the rally. Eisele said it is important for teachers and staff to be recognized.
"Each and every year, you know, it is our role as leaders to inspire our teachers who are really on the front lines with our students each and every day."
Teachers and support staff said this really reminds them the importance of teamwork.
Steel said, "I think what's so incredible about it is, that we remember that we're never working on our own and that we work together."
Together they will welcome back nearly 42,000 students to the classroom on Monday.