As the high school welcomes the 9th grade students, they are also welcoming the brand new 9th grade academy. In the previous years freshman have struggled with starting at the high school, but this year starts something new. 

     Dr. Biessel, the high school principal, came up with this idea in the spring of 2022 and then worked it out with Mr. Marra. A committee was then started with 10 teachers being involved to talk about the academy and come up with ideas towards it. The academy teaches seven major topics to the incoming freshman through seven days, each day being a new topic. The academy started the first day on the second day of the 2022-2023 year.The topics consisted of: skills for success, normed expectations, positive relationships, positive community, personal account, responsibility, and coping strategies. Dr. Biessel stated that the academy more likely will happen again next year, but the committee will be discussing the good and bad things of the academy and what changes could be made.

     9th grader Morgan Riegel said that the most helpful thing that she has learned from the academy so far is her way around the school, which helped her become less lost. As an incoming freshman of the school it is hard to know the way around the school right away. Morgan’s opinion on the academy is that it is “Helpful, but also repetitive.” Morgan already knew a majority of the information such as bookmarking tabs and organizing her emails, which is the case for other students too. Although it can be annoying to hear the same things over again, it never hurts to be reassured and reminded on something.