Slowly but surely, incoming freshmen students and their parents strolled past the “Prep for High School Success” sign and into the LGI for a presentation lead by Mr. Sean Begley, freshman center principal.

“[My biggest concern] is meeting new people. [The school] is really big so I guess I’m just scared that I’m going to get lost. I hope that [this meeting] will help me get to classes better, and ease up my fears a little bit,” Zyanya Barnes (9) said.

Mr. Begley was there to do just that. In his presentation, he discussed the transition into ninth grade, described how to achieve academic success, and explained how the ongoing construction fits in with where the freshman classes will be located.

“[My biggest concern] is finding classes and people,” Sophia Hay (9) said.

Mr. Begley tried to address the concerns of parents and students by showing various maps of both the freshman center and high school, describing the matrix schedule with great detail and assuring students that it is possible to travel all the way across the school in a mere six minutes.

Mr. Begley held the meeting at 10:30, 1:00, 4:00 and 5:30 to make sure that every incoming freshman had the chance to listen and learn from his detailed PowerPoint presentation. Getting the students as ready for the first day as possible was the goal of the meeting, and students left with new information and a new confidence.