About 140 seniors and freshmen with colorful balloons, stuffed animals and big smiles crowded a grassy courtyard at St. Francis School on a recent school morning. In an earlier ceremony, the senior girls — or "big sisters" — revealed their secret identities to their "little siblings" — freshmen girls, and for the first time in the once all-girls school's history, freshmen boys.

During the previous two weeks, the senior big sisters anonymously gave gifts to their designated little siblings in a school bonding and welcoming tradition that goes back at least half a century at the Manoa private school.

"This is awesome," giddy freshman Alexus Keaunui said after finding out her big sister was student body president Francesca Koethe. Keaunui held a big neon green sign with her name spelled out in big orange letters; Koethe made the sign for her for the reveal ceremony.

"Today (we) get to meet up and play games and get gifts and bond some more," Koethe said. "It's just a whole bunch of fun."

With the school year in full swing, scores of high schools statewide are gearing up for their own time-honored traditions, such as St. Francis School's Big Sister, Little Sibling celebration. More than the welcome back assembly, homecoming parade or senior prom, these are traditions that are unique to the schools.

Campbell and Waipahu high schools share a tradition that goes back to the neighboring communities' sugar plantation days.

Whenever both varsity football teams play each other — whether it's a preseason, regular or playoff game — it's known as the Cane Knife Classic; the title refers to the big knives once used in preparing to plant or harvest sugar cane.

The game is a friendly rivalry that started more than 40 years ago "to bring the communities together," said Samuel Delos Reyes, athletic director at Campbell and a former head football coach for 12 years at Waipahu. "It's a good rivalry that brings a lot of history back to both schools."

In addition to bragging rights, the winning school gains possession of the Cane Knife Classic's perpetual prize — a 2 1/2-foot-long cane knife that was chrome-plated when the classic began in 1963. (Campbell won this year's Cane Knife Classic last month.)

Delos Reyes graduated in 1968 from Waipahu, where he also was a football player. So he feels a connection to both schools. It's a sentiment shared by many classic fans, who have friends and relatives from both the 'Ewa Beach and Waipahu communities, Delos Reyes said.

"It brings a lot of good memories," he said. "I think it's a good tradition to follow and ... we know that the communities kind of root for each other."

A Mililani High School tradition involves singing the school alma mater — not just at assemblies, pep rallies or special ceremonies, but on a school bus.

Whenever students riding a school bus return to Mililani from an off-campus competitive event, such as a band competition or basketball game, they belt out the alma mater as soon as they reach Meheula Parkway, usually by the McDonald's on Meheula.

The origins of the ritual are unclear, but it goes back at least 30 years, said John Brummel, principal at Mililani High School.

"It just shows a lot of school pride and spirit," Brummel said.

School pride is what's behind Damien Memorial School's Purple Line Ceremony, also a beloved football tradition.

Every year for at least 20 years, the ceremony has taken place at the end of football practice on the day before the first regular season game, said Michael Weaver, principal of Damien's high school division.

The ritual involves the football players together crossing a purple line painted on asphalt — the school's colors are purple and gold — from the edge of the Damien football field onto the field itself. Before the "crossing over" ceremony, the senior football players each repaint a portion of the purple line.

The ceremony symbolizes the students' "dedication to the (football) program, dedication to the ideals of the school," Weaver said.

Such high school traditions are important for all students, many of whom live in the present and "don't have a sense of history," Weaver said.

"This connects them to the past and their school," Weaver said. "These traditions help them to link with the school and see that they're part of the bigger picture."