Photograph by STEP scavanger group

Written by Maggie LaCross |

Every August, a new group of freshmen come into Morgan with hopes of a smooth transition. The promise of an easy beginning leaves all new 9th graders feeling at ease. STEP provides a period of time when the students can get back into the routine of seeing each other everyday and being back at school. STEP is a program that was created to make the transition from Eliot to Morgan an easy one. During STEP, the majority of freshmen come to Morgan for three days and get to know the school, teachers, and upperclassmen.Students already attending Morgan are welcome to volunteer to assist STEP teachers. “The amount of student mentors has increased. Upperclassmen understand the value of making freshmen comfortable” (Ms.White, math teacher at Morgan). When I asked Kelsey Novak, a sophomore, why she decided to be a STEP mentor she said “Mostly because it helped me as a freshman.”

During these three days, there are a number of ‘icebreakers’ that volunteering students do with the new Morgan attendee’s. There also is a ‘scavenger hunt’ of the school to help the freshmen become acclimated with the room locations. Emily Zirkelbach, sophomore, says that when she attended STEP freshman year, she liked how everyone was welcoming. “It made you feel like you were already part of the school.” Emily and Kelsey both agree that Step is helpful because it allows students to become familiar with and get an understanding of the school and its expectations. Kelsey said she likes the social aspect. “..it’s not all serious, you’re all allowed to have fun and talk. If you have questions, everyone’s open to answering them.” The benefits of attending STEP are plentiful, thanks to Mrs.O’Brien. When I asked Ms.White what she hoped students got from STEP she said,” [I hope] they are less nervous about coming to high school and that they see  Morgan is a fun place to be.”