Freshmen

Because of state testing this week, we had a day where we separated lunches mostly by grade level. At fourth lunch, when all of the freshmen were gathered, a sophomore came up to me and Mr. Young, sighed, and said, “do I really have to eat with these freshmen? They are sooo immature!” What a difference three months makes from when she was one of those "annoying" freshmen!

I’ve spent the last few weeks meeting with freshmen in their SK 101 class, asking them what they think of SKHS four weeks into their career and soliciting their opinion on what they enjoy and don’t like. I have not found them to be annoying in the least – though of course the classroom is a bit different than the cafeteria. There’s a lot of similarities in their likes (more freedom, more sports and activities, more people to meet) dislikes (22 minute lunches, clogged hallways, more homework), and surprises (lack of bullying, one adapts to the size of the school quickly) about SKHS. I point out to them that students can take a direct role in influencing the culture of the school. I describe the student-led processes that have led to more clubs, a senior final exam exemption policy, and girls’ bathrooms that are cleaner and usable. I tell them that more than any other student group, they have the most to gain by making SKHS a culture of positive success. I point out that the successes of SKHS have as much to do with the student body as any other school stakeholder.

Of course it’s not that simple to change educational institutions. It’s incumbent upon the adults to set our students up for success. We’ve been pro-active in the measures we’ve taken to provide a smooth transition for freshmen, for example beginning a summer school program, teaming pilot and mentoring program this past year. As we head into October, we want to focus our efforts on kids who are struggling academically. The school counselors play a key role in this process, having identified – in partnership with their colleagues at the middle schools – a “watch list” of kids who may require additional support. The ninth grade team of four teachers, has identified and contacted homes where they are already noting some signs of struggle and frustration with the group so students they share. The increased communication and early intervention – and encouragement – are important factors when examining the trajectory of a student’s high school career. These are small steps but designed to be expandable so that we can more effectively and efficiently monitor kids’ progress, intervening when necessary and of course celebrating accomplishments which at times may go unnoticed. Hopefully, when these freshmen eventually become graduates, they will be able to think back upon their time at SKHS and recognize the contributions they made as well as the adults who provided the conditions for their individual and school wide successes.