Nerves are uncontrollable and can overall be caused by anything: right before you give a big speech, meeting your partner’s parents, or especially coming into high school on your first day as a freshman, but for many Morgan freshman the nerves disappear after just three days in the summer spent at school due to a program called STEP. The Morgan School has been doing STEP for the past twenty-two years, and with the help of the upperclassmen and all the teachers, STEP held another successful orientation for the freshmen class between August thirteenth and fifteenth.
“STEP is a great way to introduce freshmen to the school, helping them meet upperclassmen, and to have a familiar
face in the hallway. I think it’s a great way to familiarize yourself with a new school and learn the way that things run at Morgan,” guidance counselor Mrs. O’Beirn shared.
Just as summer ends around the last week in August, STEP welcomes ninety incoming freshmen to join in on a three-day-long session full of fun activities aimed at school bonding and becoming a team. Some activities include break out rooms, classroom time, and the pep rally on day three.
“The pep rally at the end was so much fun and learning all the dog pound chants made it feel like we were at a game. I think that everyone should participate in STEP,” stated Paige Harkins, a freshman that attended.
Guidance from upperclassmen and teachers is an important aspect in the success of a high school student. Without it, no one would know where they would be. Several freshmen expressed feeling comfortable knowing where their classes are, meeting upperclassmen, and knowing how to open their lockers with the help of eight teachers and one hundred and seventeen upperclassmen.
“STEP made me want to come back to school, and it was fun to try to find my classes with the upperclassmen as we were getting to know each other,” shared Paige Harkins, a freshman that attended.
Some of those who didn’t have the chance to partake in it had regrets over missing it. Junior, Hope Savage who only attended STEP freshman year, and missed it this summer, thought “it was very helpful for me as a
freshman, not knowing the school nor knowing my teachers and even where everything was…I wish that I went this year so I could make the freshmans’ experience better than mine.”
Guidance counselor, Karyn O’Beirn, believes that the students who don’t go “miss out on a really great opportunity.” But with around 95% of the freshmen’s class attending, almost everyone was excited and ready for their first day of high school.
For the past years, STEP has advanced and has been even more successful than ever. With recommendations from students and teachers, the school has built one of the best programs that Morgan has ever hosted.
