Where do I go? Who do I talk to? Should I sit down?
Every year, a new class of freshmen is forced to ask these questions, and the class of 2015 is no exception. Despite the fact that most students are not looking forward to having a new class of freshman, Vandegrift does all it can to prepare eighth graders for high school.
On Monday, January 31, Vandegrift held its annual eighth grade parent night to help students and parents choose classes for upcoming freshmen.
“Approximately 440 families attended eighth grade night,” Mrs. Stitch, Vandegrift counseling assistant, said.
Eighth grade night promoted almost all organizations at Vandegrift, including language, special education programs, and athletic opportunities. The arts and business programs had tables and information for students regarding course opportunities was handed out.
The volume of freshmen next year will complete the class system, allowing all high school grades to reside inside Vandegrift for the first time. “We estimate about 460 new freshmen,” Mrs. Kind, Vandegrift registrar, said.
With all the new freshmen, current Vandegrift students have different views about what school will be like for the class of 2015. While current students have experienced a smaller and less diverse school, next year’s freshmen will get to experience high school from a different viewpoint.
“I think it’s better for the class of 2015 because they can have more friends in different classes who can offer them more advice on the high school experience,” Denise Bui, a current sophomore, said.
While Bui may feel this way, others are not so sure. “I kind of like how we have just a few classes. Everyone knows each other better,” sophomore Jordan Sekiya stated.
Despite being at a “full” school, the class of 2015 is not offered any course options during their freshmen year that were not available to other classes, with the exception of the Vision Dance Co., an artistic based dance program that will begin its first year in the 2011-2012 school year. The one difference will be that new freshmen prepare for the STAAR test instead of TAKS, which requires students to have a passing cumulative score for all end-of-course exams (it also accounts for 15% of a student’s grade in a class). This means that while some feel the new freshmen will have better opportunities in high school; most will have the same experience we did, with the exception of having to deal with more upperclassmen.
So, to all those not looking forward to new freshmen, look at it from Bui’s point of view: “For every new class of freshmen, you’re one year closer to graduating”.
And that’s something to look forward to.
