Shouts of “It’s here!” from the class of 2027 and the faint scent of hot dogs floated through the once summer-silent halls on August 23, marking a new tradition. Freshmen and new students participated in a cookout, scavenger hunt, and get-to-know-you activities.
After a meal of chips, cookies, burgers, and more, the freshmen separated into groups based on the color of their name tags and marched around the school in search of certain rooms. The scavenger hunt gave them a chance to explore and get to know the school.
“Some of them have been in the building before between band and sports, but it’s nice when they’re here with the upperclassmen to just see the general layout of the building because on the first day, they’re always getting lost,” Assistant Principal Mr. Tom McLaughlin said.
Student Council members helped plan the activities to ensure the event went smoothly.
“I think that there are parts of it that we definitely could have [worked] a little better, because for me personally, I didn’t realize how many kids there would be, so I was a little bit overwhelmed. But otherwise, it went pretty well,” junior Student Council officer Tianyue Wang said.
Walking around the school helped new freshmen familiarize themselves with the location of classrooms, restrooms, and offices,and how to navigate the school.
“[I liked] walking around the school because I’ve never been in this school before,” freshman Sam Mendez said. “It’s nice to know what it’s like before the school year starts.”
The goal of the cookout was to help the freshmen adapt to a fresh start in a new building. It was executed in hopes to help freshmen have fun and feel like they belonged.
“It was very nice because everyone was welcoming,” Mendez said.
While this is the first-ever freshmen barbecue, it won’t be the last of new steps the school’s leadership is planning to make students feel welcome.
“We’re trying to make things feel a little different this year, and this was the first step of it,” McLaughlin said.
