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Olivia Weirtz

Senior and student ambassador Paige Anderson advises an incoming sophomore at Pony Possibilities night. As a part of the ambassadors program, she helps advise students about classes they should take from a high schooler's, rather than a teacher’s perspective. Paige says, “If you didn’t know if you were qualified for a certain course you can get a teacher’s perspective and they’ll tell you it’s good for college, but a student will tell you what it’s actually like.”

The auditorium was packed with nervous junior high students and their parents, anxiously awaiting a road-map for the next step in their education. Important information about AP classes and scheduling flew at them, and high school experience immersion became completely unavoidable. The next chapter for current ninth graders will soon be open, and helping them adapt to their new environment starts early in their final days at the junior highs.

Pony Possibilities night was Jan. 25 and offered an opportunity for ninth grade students to explore the environment they will soon face as their reality. Various clubs and teachers set up stations for parents and students to browse, allowing the future sophomores to earn a better understanding of what high school has to offer.

Information for Education

The ninth graders in attendance were given a speech from Principal Rob Bach exposing the class options at the high school, and were then set free to look around various stations set up by different academic departments. The goal would be that the students use the information they gained from visiting the stations to register for their classes in skyward.

Freshman Isabel Bartosh said, “I feel like it helped ease the nerves of what classes I should take. What I liked best is that I was able to talk to some of the teachers and hear the differences between the regular and AP classes.”

The transition from junior high to high school can often be frightening and stressful, and this event helps to calm the nerves, and provide the new high schoolers with the best information so they are able to make educated decisions about what classes they want to take. Teachers are available for students to meet and booths with information about the art program, belle chanter choir, newspaper and science were set up for parents and students to browse. The rigor of courses is a strong concern for many students entering the high school, and Pony Possibilities night allows them to explore all their possible options and weigh the benefits of certain difficult classes.

Parent of a current ninth grader Sandy Bartosh said, “I think as parents we always tend to worry about if our kids will be challenged, but not overwhelmed and if it will be the right fit for them.”

Reality: High school is challenging

Mrs. Roeschlein, an Enriched English 10 teacher spoke at the event on behalf of the enriched program. She feels it is important to make sure the students know what will be expected of them before they sign up for advanced classes such as Enriched English or AP. The honors classes at the junior high may have challenged them, but those who sign up for Enriched 10 or AP should be prepared to be pushed even further.

Mrs. Roeschlein said, “Ten E is big leap from honors and I don’t think they realize that they should be a little bit more mentally prepared and not expect to get easy A’s like they might have in the past.”

Students helping students

The event also used student ambassadors to assist the younger students, which gave them the chance to talk with real students who have been through the transition from junior high to high school, rather than simply adults. The ambassadors represent a successful and approachable group of older students willing to help make the change from ninth to tenth grade a pleasant one.

Senior and student ambassador Paige Anderson said, “I think it’s really good to have that opportunity, and that’s why I was there; for people to ask questions.”

The goal of Pony Possibilities night over anything else is to help the students move to the high school as seamlessly as possible. It is geared to ease the concerns of parents and students alike, and helps to show off the high school as a positive, bustling environment with an opportunity for any student. Although high school is difficult, Pony Possibilities night enables the students to create a support system with students and teachers, and to feel welcome and protected in their new and larger environment.

Anderson said, “If they had this for college, that would be awesome!”