On Aug. 23, the first day of school, UHS students gathered for the third annual Better Together Day. In the previous two years, Better Together Day was solely focused on activities, without any classes during the day. However, this year’s schedule allowed students to enjoy an array of activities and also attend their odd class periods.

Better Together Day consisted of a variety of activities spread out over three 35-minute activity blocks with over 40 different options. Popular activities included magic shows, tie-dye shirts, rock paintings, bracelet making and pickleball.

“My favorite activity was bracelet making,” junior Ryan Huang said. “[It] was a great way to chill out with friends.” 

Better Together Day allowed students to make new friends and reconnect with old ones to create a sense of camaraderie.

“I liked how I was able to get acclimated to the school environment before classes started,” senior Tara Choudhary said. “My favorite activity was doing puzzles with my friends.”

Students were easily able to plan out their Better Together Day activities through the app Sched, which has been used in previous years. Many UHS families donated items such as acrylic paint, succulents, picnic games, bean bag chairs, footballs, chalk and tie-dye materials to make Better Together Day possible. 

UHS staff members, PTSA and volunteer parents played pivotal roles in the seamless execution of Better Together Day. Activities were spread indoors and outdoors throughout the campus, ensuring students had a diverse range of settings to choose from.

“I loved rock painting the most because it was fun to help each other paint the rocks and use them as locker pets,” freshman Isabella Dym said. “My favorite location was anywhere outside because it felt livelier and we were able to explore the campus more.”

All in all, Better Together Day was a great way to start the school year. The event brought UHS students closer together through engaging activities and fostered a sense of community that will last throughout the school year.