The start of a new school year is an adjustment. It can take time to fall back into the routine of A days and B days—especially for new faces on campus. However, this isn’t just limited to students. Among staff members are 19 newcomers navigating their first week on campus in their new position.
“I student taught here at Liberty High School back in the spring of 2021,” assistant orchestra director Brandon Lucio said. “And I’ve always heard excellent things about Liberty High School, even when I was in college, [so] I decided to teach here [when] Ms. Blackstock was kind enough to let me know that there was a position available here.”
The campus isn’t as familiar to others as Lucio, however. For attendance clerk Noah Basye, Frisco wasn’t home until three weeks ago.
“I graduated with a degree in history from the University of Oklahoma with the intention of working in the education system,” Basye said. “My previous job was at a museum helping with the education department there so beginning work here has been an exciting step toward my goal. When moving to Frisco about three weeks ago, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get some much-needed experience in the education system.”
The environment some new staff members want to create can be summed up by one of the school’s core values: community.
“I hope to create a front office space that is comfortable and inviting for students,” Basye said. “I know life can begin to feel quite overwhelming when issues arise for students so I’m hoping to help create an understanding and welcoming environment where we can work to deal with problems together without creating any undue stress or tension.”
For Lucio, making the impact that he experienced as a student in a fine arts program is the goal.
“I’ve always thought of myself as a facilitator of learning,” Lucio said. “Music, specifically, is all about learning about yourselves, each other, and instrument pedagogy; when you put it all together and when everyone has something in common, it just creates magical, long-lasting experiences for everyone. For myself, the things I remember most from high school are about being in orchestra. I’ve heard it from my friends who are not orchestra teachers [too]. They tell me that orchestra, band, theater—any of the fine arts—that’s what they remember most.”
