TOWAMENCIN – On Tuesday evening, the confused faces and frantic feet that filled the North Penn High School pods were a sign that the school year is now well under way, as the parents took their turn navigating the labyrinth;  yes, it was back to school night.

It seemed like parents came from all parts of the county, judging by the time it took to move a few hundred feet coming into the high school. Parking was its own challenge, an indication that the turnout was tremendous, as always.

Scattered among those people were members of the JROTC who were extremely helpful in keeping the event running like a well-oiled machine. For every parent with an ‘SOS’ look on their face, there was a courteous JROTC member there to guide the way.

As for the parents, they were the main focus of the night. Intermixed throughout the night were the veterans along with the more recent families of the school. Some had one or more of their children meander the terrazzo-tiled pods in past years, while some were getting just as fresh of a taste of a new school as their son or daughter.

Gale Brynien, a returning parent to back to school night who has had two of her children already go through the high school, enjoys coming. With each year back, she appreciates the job of students more and more.

“You get a real appreciation for how far they have to walk every day, especially with how crowded the hallways are,” she said laughingly.

Gary Hatton, also having experience with the school, liked what he saw last night in terms of teachers and their outlook on learning.

“I heard a lot of passion coming from many of the instructors, you know, willing to work with the students” said Hatton.

The navigating aspect of the night didn’t faze him entirely either. Having kids who are involved in sports, music and clubs at the high school, he knows the basics of maneuvering oneself inside and outside of North Penn.

“It helps being her before!” Hatton said. “But I think for the people here that are new, it seems like they haven’t had a lot of trouble. People have been moving in directions and it looks like they are getting where they need to be on time.”

All in all, the night was a great way for families to get back into the swing of things and to learn a little bit about the daily life of a North Penn student.