The first semester of the 2025-26 school year at CHS comes to an end as students finish up the last of their work and prepare for Christmas break. There have been many events such as Meet the Lions, Homecoming week, a haunted hayride, and more, which have given many students a great year so far.
First off was the PBIS kickoff and club fair, a favorite for many students. The kickoff consisted of a kickball tournament, volleyball tournament, and an ice cream truck from Downtown Dip. Some students worked hard to beat their teachers and peers in these tournaments, while the rest of the school cheered on the teams from the stands.
That same day, CHS clubs set up tables in the competition gym and convinced others to join some of the many groups CHS offers. Clubs displayed their creations and used props to show off how fun their clubs are. “I joined several clubs in the club fair. I joined the chamber choir because I love singing, and I joined Youth and Government because politics have always interested me, and I love public speaking,” junior Hope Werner said.
About a week later, students got together for an exciting night at Meet the Lions. This is an annual event where students, teachers, and families get to meet the year’s fall sports teams. They also had a volleyball scrimmage and a boys soccer scrimmage, which was followed by a band performance and a cheer and dance performance.
October rolled around and, next thing the students knew, it was time for Carterville High School’s one hundredth year of homecoming. This year’s homecoming theme was “Neon Lights, Miami Nights,” and all week, students got to participate in float building, hallway decorating, and dress up days to get the school in the HOCO spirit. There were multiple events that took place to prepare for this amazing event such as a pep rally, parade, football game, and kickoff at Cannon Park. After a week of preparation, CHS finally had the HOCO dance on Saturday, October 4.
Many students were talking, singing, dancing, and just overall having the time of their lives on this special night. “My favorite part of homecoming week was the pep rally. It just felt so alive in there,” freshman Cameron McClellan said.
Later that month, as Halloween approached, many students participated in the haunted hayride. This hayride started at Carterville Intermediate School where everyone would get on the back of a tractor that then took them through the woods at Cannon Park, where all the magic happened. There were many CHS students who dressed up in scary costumes and were screaming, jumping out at people, and doing all they could to make the night unforgettable.
“The haunted hayride was great! The costumes and makeup were cool, the route chosen was perfectly ominous, and my friends screamed super loud! I was next to my easily scared friend so they went easy on us, which was considerate,” an anonymous CHS sophomore said.
In November, as one of the last events before the semester ends, a large group of students worked hard to put on their performance of “The Great Gatsby” with the help of teachers Mr. Hall and Mr. Herbst. There were many hours of practice put into this play, which resulted in many friendships and memories being made. “It was nice to see people I recognized up there and acting, and Jackson Davies’ part was phenomenal. Great acting on his end; there was a lot of emotion and commitment to his character,” junior Izzie Bailey said.
Although many students dread coming to school because of waking up early, having to do work, etc, there are so many memories made and fun things that have happened so far here at Carterville High School, and we’re only halfway through the year.
Finishing the semester strong, students had time to look back on exciting moments from the year so far, “I have had good grades the entire semester and I was able to be with all of my friends this year. I was also able to make some new friends. And I am on the bowling team and have been doing better than I was last year,” an anonymous sophomore said.
