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Thompson High School welcomed students back from summer break and greeted incoming freshmen during a successful start to the 2024-2025 school year on Aug. 8. (Reporter photos/Noah Wortham)

By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Assistant Superintendent Dr. Wesley Hester paused and stopped what he was doing to assist a lost freshman in finding his way to class amongst the massive corridors of Thompson High School during an exciting and busy first day of School.

Thompson High School welcomed students back from summer break and greeted incoming freshmen during a successful start to the 2024-2025 school year on Aug. 8.

“It’s been a wonderful first day of school here at Thompson High School,” said Hester who returned to THS this year to serve as its principal. “Students are coming in very informed, very knowledgeable about what’s going on and what the expectations are. Our teachers and staff, they have all been working very hard to prepare our students and to get started as soon as possible with the year and the learning we want to see accomplished this year.”

The hallways of Thompson High School were full of a variety of pleasant sights and sounds during the first day back as Hester recalls seeing a lot of smiles across the faces of both teachers and students.

“(I’ve seen) a lot of smiling faces, which is what you want to see on that first day of school to set the positive tone, the positive culture that we have here,” Hester said. “And to continue to build on that and make sure that our students feel good about their school year getting started on the right track.”

In assisting with that goal of helping students get the perfect jumpstart to their year, teachers and staff worked to ensure that the incoming freshmen continued to receive the instruction and direction they needed to adjust to the THS campus.

“Our freshmen, they’ve been really great,” Hester said. “They are getting acclimated to the school. Our freshmen team of teachers and staff, counselors, administrators—everyone involved has done a really good job of making them knowledgeable about our school and giving them the information that they need.”

Through the assistance of staff, Hester said they are also helping to build up the confidence of the freshmen.

“We want you to come in ready to take on every opportunity because we’re here to support you and we want you to challenge and push yourself,” Hester said. “And so far, our freshmen have really embraced that, and I’m proud of them. I’m excited about what this freshmen class can do.”

Hester spoke positively on the outlook for the rest of the year after a successful start and discussed the school’s upcoming sports and extracurricular activities, including football, volleyball, cross country, performing arts and more.

“Thompson High School is the school that never sleeps,” Hester said. “August is going to be very busy for us and it’s going to continue on throughout the semester and throughout the school year. It’s showtime here at Thompson High School, so we’re ready.”

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