Curtain rising on Metea Valley High

Whether working with teachers to gather classroom supplies or getting spirit wear in the hands of Metea Valley students, parent groups began laying the groundwork early for today's opening of the new Indian Prairie Unit District 204 high school.

Two of the school's three main parent organizations, the Parent Teacher Student Association, or PTSA, and the Athletic Boosters, began planning for this day as early as last fall.

That was no easy task considering it meant some middle school parents were juggling two PTA assignments and some high school parents were dealing with commitments to Booster groups for Metea as well as for Waubonsie Valley.

"It really was a challenge because we literally had so many people tied to two schools at once and we didn't want to distract them from their duties at their other schools," said Angie Gaul, Metea Valley's first PTSA president. "So we had to tread carefully deciding how much we did without input and how far we could move without the entire Metea community on board."

Metea is Indian Prairie's third high school, joining Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley. When the school opens today, officials expect about 1,250 freshmen and sophomores on the 87-acre campus at 1801 N. Eola Road in Aurora. The school will add juniors next year and seniors the following year and eventually could house 3,000 students.

With the start of classes upon us, Gaul said PTSA membership has been climbing steadily. Better still, she said, every faculty member already has registered.

Booster Club President Mike House also has been impressed by the support from the parents of athletes.

"The Boosters have had a great response from parents willing to step up and volunteer to sell spirit wear or concessions," he said. "And our paid membership is up to 120 families and it's growing by the day, so we're really happy with that."

With executive boards in place and paid memberships on the rise, both groups already have begun planning events throughout the year. Already on the PTSA's list are family movie nights, staff appreciation events - including a weeklong celebration of random acts of kindness.

"One of the cool things we're most excited about is that we're going to host a back-to-school shower for staff since their supplies and lounge are brand new," Gault said. "So we'll be getting them goodies, utensils and anything else they'll need in the staff lounge."

The Boosters already have caught Mustang Mania in preparation for its first school-only event on Saturday featuring scrimmages among the football, soccer and volleyball teams and performances by the band and cheerleaders.

"Parents are so excited about this school that we just wanted to give them a taste as we really get rolling," House said.

The hope is the event also will keep those volunteer registrations coming in and bolster the group to the point of eventually having Boosters for each sport.

"We're operating as a general club at this point with parent volunteers serving as coordinators for each sport," House said. "It keeps the interaction with boosters and coaches going."

Gault's group also has modified its operation a bit to include students in the Parent Teacher Association model used in many schools.

"We're really excited about working with the students to bolster Metea's reputation as a community school," she said. "The students will fill a large role in the volunteers and community service component, but we're just starting to form that segment."

Both House and Gaul agree the excitement behind the school opening is a major reason for the high level of involvement and both say they're prepared to keep the interest levels high and parents involved even after the "newness" wears off.

"I think once the community becomes overcome with gold and black and Mustang Mania, it will be hard for folks to stay," House said, "But we know we need to keep up the communication with our members and let them know what we're up to."

Communication and enthusiasm also will be the key to keeping the PTSA alive and strong.

"Everything is wonderful and overwhelming right now and we need to keep that up," Gaul said. "The only way to do that is to make sure everyone knows that we're relevant to them as we embark on all of these new firsts."