Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School celebrates first day of school in a very unique way
It's a first day of school that's very unconventional, and it's been happening every year right in our backyard for nearly two decades.
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland, Beaver County, has an opening day that gets its students moving.
"This opening is unique," Chief School Administrator Patrick Poling said.
It starts with songs like "Renegade" by Styx and "Let's Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas.
There was a lot of music from the school's house band as they filled a packed auditorium with sound.
The kids celebrate by screaming, cheering, and clapping as their fellow classmates kickstart their day.
It's worth the commute for Senior McKenna Ross, who takes an hour-and-a-half trip to Lincoln Park from Belle Vernon.
"I had to leave my house at 6 a.m., and then get on a bus for a really long time," she said.
There were also some surprises with those performances. Elvis, played by one of Lincoln Park's teachers, sang some songs up on the stage.
"I just hope he didn't hurt himself out on the stage," Poling said.
Lincoln Park is celebrating 20 years. Poling says there are kids from almost 80 districts in over 10 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania at the school.
"We have over 100 kids in our 7th-grade class; this is by far the largest," he said.
Ross was involved in the planning for Wednesday's event.
She says it's a good time to bring everyone together, and it's especially important as different classes and activities can be separating at times.
"It reminds us that it's actually a community here," Ross said.