Students, families, staff and friends take part in See You at the Pole at Valley Heights Christian Academy in Norwich on Sept. 23. Participants gathered before the school day to pray for students, schools, the community and the country. (Submitted photo)

NORWICH — Students at Valley Heights Christian Academy and other area schools gathered around school flagpoles Wednesday morning as part of the annual "See You at the Pole" student prayer event.

Valley Heights Christian Academy students, families, staff and friends gathered at 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 23 before the school day began. Participants prayed for students, schools, the community and the country.

Students also participated at public school flagpoles in the area, including in Norwich.

See You at the Pole is a national student-led prayer event held before the school day. Students organize and lead the gatherings themselves, typically meeting around their school flagpole to pray for classmates, teachers, families and their communities. The official 2026 theme was “Come to Me,” based on Matthew 11:28. In the passage Jesus invites people who are weary or burdened to come to him for rest.

The event began nationally in 1990 with a small group of students in Texas and has since grown into an annual observance involving students around the country.

Valley Heights Christian Academy, located on Calvary Drive in Norwich, is a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church and has served Chenango County families since 1982.