The class of 2027 takes on their first year of high school here at Lakeview. All of the students at Lakeview High School are reaching the end of their first nine weeks. While the sophomores, juniors, and seniors have been through this many times throughout each school year, the freshmen are just now taking in what it feels like to end the first nine weeks while being in high school.

I asked freshman Annaliese Dejulio how she felt about the first nine weeks being over and she expressed, “I feel good about it because now I can focus on the next nine weeks and now I understand how my teachers work and how their grades work as well!” Dejulio seems to be adjusting to the high school very well!!!

I asked freshman Anna Haynie how she felt being in the high school and she exclaimed, “It’s definitely been an adjustment from middle school, but it is better than I thought it would be. The classes might be more work but I like high school sports and getting to see some of the people in other grades that I did not get to see at the middle school. I am now used to how everything works and am enjoying it more than I did at the beginning of the year.” Haynie seems to be enjoying the sports side of high school.

Being a freshman in high school is a big step from the middle school. There is more of a workload here than there was at the middle school, allowing for more studying from each student. While there may be more studying at the high school there are plenty of resources so that each student does not fall behind. Each student has access to these resources and can use them when they please. Staying ahead of all of your work and not procrastinating is the key to success at the high school level.

I asked freshman Paige Schwartz, who took advanced classes in this building last year, how she felt being in the high school officially. Schwartz would travel here at the end of the day to take advanced courses here at Lakeview, but spent most of last year at the k-8 building. When asked she described, “I felt pretty comfortable starting the year since I’d already been here before. I definitely feel like I have more responsibilities since I have to manage the studying and homework I have, but I like having more classes throughout the day because I get to see more people.” Schwartz has been here before, but seems to be enjoying it more now.

At the high school level each student has the opportunity to schedule their own classes, which is not an opportunity that is given at the middle school. At the end of each student’s eighth grade year, a high school guidance counselor goes over to the middle school and starts to schedule freshman courses with them. At the end of their freshman year the guidance counselor will do the same thing, just in a high school setting this time! Being able to schedule our own classes is a privilege. Each student has to take their graduation requirement classes, but there are also classes at Lakeview High School that are not required of you to take. The classes that are not required allow the students to take a class they may be interested in that is not one of their normal classes.

I asked freshman Ella Collins how she felt about being able to schedule her own classes from now on and she exclaimed, “It was exciting being able to choose my own classes. I was a little nervous at first but I felt more independent and responsible.” Collins seems to be enjoying her independence!

The freshmen seem to be adjusting well to the high school, and are very excited the first nine weeks is almost over.