Freshmen’s Return to School

From Zoom to the classroom

Fishers newcomers navigate brand-new surroundings

Laura Masoni masonlau000@hsestudents.org

Students gather for a Club Med call-out meeting on Aug 25. Club Med provides opportunities for students interested in medicine. Photo by Kyle Goodwin.

The freshman class of 2025 are beginning their high school career like no other “I think I knew that I would have more work, but especially being online last year, I wasn’t class before them. As they take one of the biggest leaps in their schooling career, their partially virtual junior high experience has proved to be a weak foundation for some. “Switching from virtual to in-class was a very tough time,” freshman Ucheoma Acholuna said. “On top of that, I had to deal with transitioning to being a freshman. I see multiple people in the halls that I used to know that are just so di erent from when I last saw them, and paying attention in class was no easy feat either.” A 2004 study done by e National Research Council found that the transition into high school “is marked by increased disengagement and declining motivation.” In addition to that, some students are struggling to regain their stride a er coming from environments such as Zoom calls and eLearning. used to things being this intense,” freshman Lola Kivett said. Although the workload might be more intense than expected, the realities of high school have lived up to some people’s ideas. “My expectations of high school were pretty similar to what it is actually like,” freshman Aiden Weiss said. For Weiss, his interpretation of the size of the building remains unchanged even though he o en only resides in the same parts. With Fishers’ new motto of Rebuild, ReConnect, and ReEngage, there are vast opportunities for freshmen to get involved. Clubs are o ered in almost every interest level, as well as opportunities for students to create their own if they so desire. Check out the Clubs & Extracurricular Activities page on the Fishers website to learn more. Having a sense of belonging and nding a group in a school of around 3,800 may prove challenging, but it is possible even when brand new to the building. “I have met so many new people, and I even reconnected with a lot of my old friends,” Acholuna said. In a 2018-19 National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) survey, it found that the number of students who felt a sense of belonging in middle school was 49 to 67%. However, that number fell to 40-56% in the high school levels. As freshmen make that move to high school, getting connected may help in times of confusion. A place to start could be wearing red on Fridays. “I see a lack of student involvement in wearing red on Fridays,” Weiss said. “ ere is maybe a quarter of people in my classes not wearing red on Fridays.” A small task could make all of the di erence in a place of so many individuals. When working together to wear red, ReConnection may be more attainable than ever before.

Infographics created by Laura Masoni. Information from the Clubs and Extracurricular Activities page on the Fishers website.