Spring is full of possibility at Gridley High

Spring is in the air. The smell of new blossoms is beginning to float through the halls of Gridley High School, and the warmer temperatures that are just around the corner heighten the spirits of the students here. The social and academic activities of this last semester are beginning to blossom, reflecting the buds on the many trees in the orchards after the frigid winter.

Although much has already happened this year, much is still to come. This week is especially noteworthy because it is FFA week. This week at GHS, an appreciation of agriculture and farming occurs with an emphasis on school organization the FFA, the Future Farmers of America.

Students enjoy the week's dress-up days. Monday was a holiday, but Tuesday was "Plaid Day," Wednesday was "Western Wear Day," today is "Blue and Corncob Gold Day" and Friday will be "Tractor Day," when students, with permission from the school, can drive their tractors to school.

The FFA week celebration ends with the annual FFA rally. Rally activities can range from hay-bale relays to chicken catching. The whole week is really an enjoyable experience for all students, and it gives us time to reflect on the major contribution and influence the farmers of Gridley and surrounding areas have on our lives, especially since we live in such a rural and agricultural area.

"FFA is important because it helps our youth learn about agriculture," said Raina Wright, FFA member and a GHS sophomore. "It teaches us the importance of agriculture in everyday life. Without FFA, the youth of America could not raise animals, make machinery, grow crops or do any of the things that people rely on."

Another recent activity at GHS was the annual academic rally. In this rally, students are recognized for their academic achievement and high grade point averages. Students are called up during the rally and given a ticket for a chance to win prizes. This year, more than half of our student body was honored for academic achievement.

With all this talk of rallies and spirit weeks, we often overlook the people behind all these activities and who makes them all possible. Brenda Thomas is the Associated Student Body (ASB) adviser at GHS. ASB is one of the groups responsible for helping out in rallies and spirit weeks, and it contributes ideas for future school activities.

Thomas gave some insightful words and described the slogan for this year's ASB officers: "It is not the steps you are making, but the direction you are going," she said. The ASB officers, along with classes such as Leadership, are hard at work planning events to benefit both the school and its students.

As the semester continues, students here are still working hard through all their classes. There is much more to come for us, but also much to remember.

Mariah Holmes is a junior at Gridley High School. Her column appears every six weeks in Education.