HOPE — More than 440 students at Hauser Jr.-Sr. High School returned to classes in style Wednesday.
As students began arriving around 7:30 a.m. on the first day of the fall semester, they walked a red carpet and posed in front of a professionally made backdrop featuring Hauser emblems and Jets logos.
While staff involved with the surprise were prepared to act out the role of paparazzi photographers, they quickly shifted into meet-and-greet mode after parents took over the serious picture-taking.
The resemblance to backstage areas for Emmy, Academy Awards and other celebrity events was intentional, said Stephanie Tom, Hauser Social Studies department chair.
The step and repeat-style backdrop, which features repeating logos, was manufactured by StickersBanners, Inc., which also creates the backdrops for the Oscars, Tom said.
“Now, all the teachers want their pictures taken in front of it,” she said.
The idea behind the VIP treatment was to let each student know they are both noticed and valued at Hauser, school counselor Kelli Hoeflinger said.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
