The start of a new school year brings stress to everybody: students, teachers, and parents alike. While students of all grades can experience nerves surrounding the new classes and workload ahead of them, starting your freshman year of high school is by far one of the scariest times of anybody’s life. Between having new classes, peers, teachers, and a huge new campus to try and navigate, the first week of school was bound to be a challenging, yet exciting, time for the class of 2027. I interviewed freshmen and a teacher from the FIT (Freshmen in Transition) class about their thoughts on the new school year and the four years ahead of them.
To start off, I spoke to Mr. McCafferty, a social science teacher who is teaching FIT during the first trimester of the school year, about his thoughts on the freshmen. The FIT classes are to help the freshmen connect with the school, and the people in it. Currently, the FIT classes are meeting with campus officers to learn about triggers that could get students into serious trouble, as well as how to properly and efficiently communicate digitally. On top of that, freshmen are learning how to check grades, use their planners, and create healthy habits both inside and outside of their school life. When asked about how this freshmen class differs from other years Mr. McCafferty has taught the FIT class, he said, “The class of 2027, in particular, is very respectful and willing to be corrected. They don’t take offense to things, such as being called on/out.”
Mr. McCafferty says his hope for the freshmen throughout their high school years is that “they’re healthy and grow in some kind of connection to what they’re supposed to do on the planet. Find out why they’re here, and what their purpose is.” He wants every freshman to know that “somebody here cares about them. They’re going to be held accountable and held to expectations, but they aren’t alone.”
After hearing a teacher’s thoughts on the class of 2027, I interviewed freshmen about their thoughts on the school year thus far and their goals and hopes for the next four years they will spend at Granada.
I talked to Analia Tellez first. She says her high school experience has been “pretty good” so far. Her goal for this year is “to pass all her classes and graduate.” I asked if she thinks her class can make a difference at Granada during their time here, and her response was, “Probably. I’m not sure how though. Definitely not with the trash problem, I think we’ll probably only make it worse.”
Next, I talked to Jasmine Angel. She says, “High school has been good so far. I was nervous but it wasn’t bad.” When asked about what she’s excited about this year, she said, “Trying out for and hopefully joining the soccer team. I’ve played since I was three.” Throughout her four years at Granada, Jasmine hopes to “get a scholarship for soccer.”
Overall, both of the freshmen are feeling good about the next few years and are excited to see what this new chapter in their lives brings.
