By Noelani Mathews | WCTV Eyewitness News

VALDOSTA – Nearly a thousand Valdosta city school teachers are ready to take on another school year.

On Monday, a convocation kicked off the first day back for teachers from 10 different city schools.

The event brought all administrators, teachers, and staff together to celebrate last year’s achievements and to discuss their goals for the 16-17 school year.

Cody Moncrief, Valdosta Middle School teacher and runner-up for the 2017 Georgia Teacher of the Year says it’s not only fun, but brings everyone closer together.

“It makes the big school system that we have feel closer”, says Moncrief. “It just brings us together and I think it just gives us energy for the next few days of planning and the start of the year.”

The school system is welcoming more than 80 new teachers this year.

“It takes all of us to make sure students achieve, so the convocation is just the first step of that for this school year”, says : Dr. Todd Cason, Superintendent of Valdosta City Schools.