Article written by Ainsley Hall and published in The Journal on August 20, 2026, link to article HERE.
As Berkeley County students prepare to go back to school and families attend school orientations, Spring Mills High School invited the community out to their annual Cardinal Kickoff on Aug. 18. New students experienced the school culture for the first time by connecting with sports teams and other school organizations while families celebrated the many athletes and other talented students as they enter the new year.
The Cardinal Kickoff is a tradition that started around 10 years ago. Originally designed as an introduction for fall sports, the kickoff was a fun way to get the community involved and get students excited for the upcoming year. After the pandemic, the event was revived and expanded to include other outreach programs to encourage students to get involved.
“It’s a great way to bring people together to see all the great things going on at Spring Mills High School,” Principal Mark Salfia said. “It’s also a great introduction for our feeder school families as they get a first look at some of the things we do.”
During the event, the Spring Mills High School Marching Band led the way onto the football field, with the cheer team, Fusion Dance Team, football team and other fall sports following behind. The band, cheer team and dance team all performed, then guests could explore the community carnival, meeting organizations like Fellowship of Christian Athletes, JROTC, the Spring Mills Black Student Union, Drug Free Coalition and more. Salvia explained that the hope is for students to find a team or organization that they connect with and encourage them to join and be a part of the school culture.
“The goal is to create the best student experience in the state,” Salvia said. “There are many opportunities at Spring Mills, so as the freshmen come in, we want to highlight them early on. I hope that they connect with something here that will make their experience in high school great.”
Not only does it help new students find a place to belong, but the event also reminds the community that they are welcome at the school. Salvia believes it's important for the school to connect with the community as they support the students.
“I want the community to feel at home,” Salvia said. “They can come out and spend the evening walking around campus or come watch the games here to support the students or find other ways to get involved. We want to be the center of the community and bring people together.”
Salvia is excited for school to officially start on Aug. 20. He looks forward to welcoming students back into the halls and seeing their excited energy as the new year begins.