Students at Chester High School in Illinois gathered around the flagpole before dawn on September 24 for the annual “See You at the Pole” event, where members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes led prayer, song, and fellowship over donuts and Chick-fil-A before classes began.

The observance, reported by Kira Pierce and Claire Locke in the school’s student newspaper and held at schools nationwide each fall, brings students together in voluntary gatherings centered on faith and community.
“See You at the Pole” began in Texas in 1990, when a small group of teenagers gathered for prayer before school. Since then, the tradition has grown into a nationwide observance, with students across the US meeting at their flagpoles each September for prayer and fellowship.
Below, we’ve gathered coverage from student newspapers across the country to show how this year’s event was marked in different communities.
Bellwood, Pennsylvania: Bellwood-Antis H.S.
St. Charles, Missouri: Francis Howell North H.S.
Morrisdale, Pennsylvania: West Branch Area H.S.
Ripon, California: Ripon H.S.
Hallettsville, Texas: Hallettsville H.S.
McKinney, Texas: McKinney Christian Academy
Willis, Texas: Willis H.S.
Madison, Alabama: Bob Jones H.S.
Potosi, Missouri: Potosi H.S.
Paoli, Indiana: Paoli H.S.