Canyon Ridge Coyotes 'howl' with Spurs Coyote

Canyon Ridge Elementary School kicked off its monthly “First Friday” events and celebrated the new school year with their annual Coyote Pride Spirit Rally on Friday, Sept. 2, 2011. The entire school of more than 1,000 students howled and cheered along with the Spurs Coyote, who joined in their festivities.

“I think this is great for our school,” said Leigh Anne Roeber, Canyon Ridge music teacher. “This is a good way to kick everything off for the year. It’s great for community-building.”

Students filled the school’s outdoor amphitheater, wearing their new turquoise blue spirit shirts with the message “Great Happens Here” on the front and "Be the Change You Want to See In They World" on the back. They also held posters that spelled out phrases, such as: “Go Coyotes Go,” “First Fridays Rock,” “Howl,” “Canyon Ridge #1” and “Great Happens Here.” Students also had bubbles to use at the pep rally—more than 1,100 bubbles were donated by H-E-B.

“This is a really nice change of pace for the students,” said Roeber. “They know ‘First Friday’ is coming up and the students start wondering and getting excited about what they’ll get to see and experience. It’s a fun event that is also educational.”

The Canyon Ridge Parent Teacher Association sponsors the monthly “First Friday” special events to ignite school spirit and excitement for the year. Now in its third year, “First Friday” events have become a tradition at Canyon Ridge. Coming up for the school will be a visit from the Drum Café where each student will be given a drum and find rhythm with each other; Dance Asian America, which incorporates authentic costumes, music and cultural information while presenting classical and folk dances of China; and Trinity Science Solutions: Big Canyon Balloon, a 15-foot inflatable that allows students to see how erosion and weathering can create new landforms.

Posted on September 2, 2011