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LCS “Saddles Up” for a New School Year!

Hannah Martensen, junior LHS journalism staff writer on September 08, 2025

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Saddling up, Mr. Fischer and Mr. Faltys rode actual horses into the Leigh High School gym on August 15, 2025, kickstarting the 2025-2026 school year!

Welcoming students and parents into the school year, an open house was held on Wednesday, August 13. At the open house, students and parents were welcomed to become acquainted with their teachers and classrooms, and were offered a delicious meal by the school board!

Marking a memorable first day surrounded by K-12 students, Mr. Fischer and Mr. Faltys along with staff members made their entrances themed around an animal. This year, the welcoming orientation was themed “Animal House”. Mr. Bazata brought his dog Maggie, Mrs. Went brought two of her show goats, and Mrs. Koch brought a fish! 

This year, the school has acquired many new staff members. Ms. Taylor Van Duysen is a new Pre-K para along with Mr. Jorge Gomez as a Para/EL. Mr. Gomez joined staff in second semester of last year, but starts his first full year at LCS. Mrs. Rhonda Bartling is not new to the staff, but she is taking charge this year becoming the full time cook with Mrs. Odalis Hernandez helping with food services.  Mrs. Sharon Schroeder is the new elementary custodian and Mrs. Misty Fischer will be a new bus driver!

Continuing excitement for the start of the year, more than academics are happening beyond the classrooms. Girls golf, football, volleyball, and softball are all in full swing with practices leading to upcoming games and meets! 

Senior Lexis Gleason said, "I think that the first day of school was really fun, and I enjoyed the opening ceremony. I am really excited for this upcoming school year because there are going to be a lot of new opportunities for my classmates and I." 

“We have had a great start to the school year! We had a great first day and hope the students enjoyed our "Animal House" entrance this year. Big thanks to the staff's willingness to participate every year,’ said Superintendent Mr. Fischer. ‘At LCS, students come first, and we strive to provide a meaningful education and an experience they will not forget! Our current PK-12 enrollment is 312 students. Since 2015-16 that is a 123-student increase. We are proud to see our community and enrollment continue to grow! Again, we are off to a great start and cannot wait to see what we can accomplish this school year!”

7-12 Principal Mr. Andrew Faltys said, “The first day of school was an exciting start to the year. Students came back with a lot of energy, and it was great to see our hallways filled with positive attitudes and a strong sense of Patriot pride. As I begin my fourth year as principal at Leigh, I’m excited to continue building on the growth we’ve seen and look forward to watching our students succeed both in the classroom and in their activities throughout the year.”

Wishing all students the best of luck in their academics and extracurricular activities, we wish you all to have the best year!