Starting high school can be a huge adjustment to new freshmen coming from the middle school.
“The school is way bigger and it’s harder to get to your classes,” as freshmen Avery Mougin said.
Many students enjoy the atmosphere of a newly updated school.
“Everything is so new so it’s good to know that not only I’m getting use to it and everyone is pretty cool,” freshmen Wrigley Robbins said.
“I like the new hallway, it makes it easier to get to classes,” Mougin said.
Our school is still being built, and if you are new here the construction can be distracting or difficult to work around. “Not really I don’t pay attention to it much,” Abagayle Robakowski said.
“It affected me getting to gym class but other than that it hasn’t been an issue,” Wrigley Robbins said.
Many freshmen have experienced some struggles from switching gears from middle school to high school. Some feel that since it is so much bigger it’s harder to see and talk to their friends all the time.
“Sometimes I don’t get to see all of my friends every day, but I’ve made some new friends, too,” said Mougin.
Others have found ways to keep in touch with their friends both from New Prairie and other schools.
“I get to see my friends in basically every class,” Robakowski said.
“Not at all. All of my friends that came to New Prairie with me, are still very close, but not seeing them, all of the time has caused me to grow outside of the box, and make more friends.” along with Kendall Dahms.
Not all freshmen went to New Prairie Middle School. Robbins transferred here this year, and he said he is adjusting pretty quickly to the new school.
“I’m a transfer student but I’ve been able to make a lot of new friends and I still see some old friends too,” Robakowski said. Robakowski a transfer student adjusted to the new scenery pretty quickly. “Adjusting has been surprisingly easy for me,” Robakowski said.
“Everything is so new so it’s good to know that not only I’m getting use to it and everyone is pretty cool.”
Both students Robbins and Robakowski came from a small class Catholic school out of South Bend. They said that New Prairie is definitely different and they are enjoying their time here.“I like how it’s all one level and the classrooms are easy to find,” Robakowski said.
Some freshmen have or had older siblings that went to our high school.“My sister graduated last year, and she helped through the orientation before school started. She consoled me and said that high school will be different, it’s a new, and bigger environment to adjust to,” Kendall Dahms said.
Freshmen student Avery Mougin has a sister that still goes here, and she found that having an older sibling here helped a lot. Especially when she had a questions about school.
At any high school freshmen may expect to be bullied by upperclassmen. Here at New Prairie the freshmen have mixed reviews.
“Most upperclassmen don’t even talk to me and if they do they seem pretty chill,” Robbins said.
Some New Prairie freshmen have a different view such as Dahms. She had a unique experience.
“I had someone come up to me and tell me that I was hated around the school. I have no clue what I did or even if that’s true, but that made me feel really bad, and now I just think that I’m not liked, but I’m pushing past that, and I’m focusing on what’s ahead of me and not behind me.”
For students who have experienced what Dahms has, there is a place they can go. “If a student ever feels like they need someone to talk to, or if they just need to collect themselves for the day they are welcomed to stop in,” said Mrs. Schellinger.
Mrs. Schellinger explained that during step up day and freshmen orientation that the counselors try to explain what they are here for.
“I cant read minds, so I need the students to say something. Maybe not even themselves. Their friends or family members can tell me,” said Mrs. Schellinger.