The school’s new ninth grade program, The Royal Entrance, took place during the weeks of July 8-11 and 15-18, introducing incoming freshman students to high school.
“I think [The Royal Entrance] is good if you don’t know anybody, since we do a lot of group activities,” freshman River Murray said. “[We did] email writing contests which were fun. [The school] is pretty big and I’ve learned where everything is.”
The program was split into two weeks, with multiple groups of freshman students. They participated in different activities to help them get a feel of what high school is like.
“[It was] really in-depth. They really go into the different details and try to get you involved in what’s going on.” freshman Caren Mateo said. “[It’s nice to know] that everyone is really welcoming and it’s not just me that’s nervous.”
Introducing incoming ninth graders to the school’s environment early on was to set them up for success, giving them insight into what they need and helping them conquer some high school gitters.
“The Royal Entrance was a pretty good way for me to see how I can get around the school.” freshman Dylan Martinez said. “If I didn’t go I would’ve been lost. It’s a really big school.”
During the program, the students went on a tour of the school to learn the layout. They also received their school issued laptops and learned about the various applications on them, to gain familiarity before the upcoming school year.
“I have an idea of the school now and what to do on the first day.” freshman Elise Narinson said. “The more I learn about the program the more I really like the school.”
The program works to mimic a shortened version of a school day, lasting from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. with a 20 minute nutrition break. It also taught students more about school specific procedures, like Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing, high graduation requirements and A-G college admission requirements. With all the knowledge they gained over the week, students will be well prepared for a smooth first day of high school.
“The Royal Entrance is a really great program that teaches kids how to act and behave in school,” Narinson said. “We’ve been doing group activities learning more about each other and being more open with one another. I really liked getting to know more people.”
On the last day of the program, students enjoyed playing fun and interactive team building games while all wearing matching Royals shirts, increasing their school spirit.
“This is really helpful for incoming 9th graders because they are more aware of what to do on the first day of school,” Narinson said. “I thought I was going to be lost on the first day of school so when I heard about this program I thought, maybe I won’t get lost.”
