Freshman Jitters Prompt an Early Start

Incoming freshman Linda Oluoha worried that, when classes began at San Gorgonio High School in San Bernardino, she would be lost in a crush of 3,200 unfamiliar faces and an avalanche of tough classwork.

Anticipating such fears, the school gave its freshmen a head start this year and had them begin school a day earlier than upperclassmen to ease them into the high school life.

On Friday, Linda plotted her way around the 65-acre campus, met her teachers and learned the finer points of being a Spartan, such as where to buy a gym outfit and the classes required for a diploma.

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s going to be so hard.’ But it’s been fun so far,” the 14-year-old said. “We have a lot more responsibility, but more freedom than in middle school.”

High schools across the nation are increasingly paying special attention to their first-year students, many of whom are entering a new school that houses more students than some liberal arts colleges. They also must acclimate to tougher classes, more homework and less supervision than in junior high.

Freshmen are more likely than upperclassmen to fail a class or be suspended. More than 30% of high school students quit before graduation, and in most states the greatest segment of that loss occurs in ninth grade, according to a June study by the nonprofit Editorial Projects in Education Research Center in Bethesda, Md.

By creating special programs that ease freshmen into the high school experience, administrators hope their students will avoid that fate.

“When we notice the success rate freshmen have versus the other classes, it clearly is the most difficult time of their four years,” said Dan Burch, principal of Tesoro High School in the Las Flores area of southern Orange County.

In recent years, taking a cue from universities, high schools have started assigning mentors to first-year students, created summer programs to ease the transition and given the newcomers extra time at the start of the school year to acclimate to life on campus, said Shana Kemp, spokeswoman for the nonprofit National Assn. of Secondary School Principals in Reston, Va.

“This is a very good idea ... and it’s really picking up steam,” she said. “We know starting earlier with kids is better, especially when they get into high school. A lot of kids are intimidated and scared. They get familiar with the buildings, feel comfortable with some teachers. It just gives them a leg up.”

In Los Angeles this summer, more than 6,400 students entering middle and high school attended a new summer course called the Bridge Program at their new schools. The orientation program emphasizes math and study skills, and targets at-risk students.

At 2,900-student Tesoro High School, freshmen will start school with a half day Friday.

It’s part of a 3-year-old program that partners groups of four or five students with an upperclassman who shows them where their classes are, how to get a locker and in general how to survive the school day. The relationship continues through the school year, with students meeting with their mentors at least once a month. And they know a friendly older face once school officially starts the following Tuesday, said Burch, the principal.

The mentors are selected for their academic success and leadership skills, he said.

“It needs to be kids that understand the strengths of the school

At San Gorgonio High, freshmen spent a half day Friday attending shortened versions of their classes and meeting teachers and administrators. They had six minutes between classes, as on a normal school day, prompting some to pepper Principal Sandy Robbins with requests for directions and sprint across campus.

“It’s B-13. I don’t know where that is,” pleaded a nervous-looking boy.

“It’s right there, sweetie,” Robbins replied as she pointed to a nearby building.

Administrators decided to start the freshmen early after hearing the idea at a conference this year in Boston. It’s an outgrowth of an existing summer program they’ve offered for two years for incoming freshmen called the Edge, similar to the Los Angeles program.

Administrators wearing “Class of 2010” T-shirts met with groups of dazed-looking freshmen in the auditorium to discuss school rules and graduation requirements, and to somberly inform them that one-third of their class of 900 probably wouldn’t make it to commencement in four years.

“We’re going to warn you, we’re going to give you every chance in the world to be successful,” said Vice Principal Pete Martinez. But if a student repeatedly violates the dress code or other rules on campus, “you’re going to be suspended.... Once you risk being eliminated from school, it’s just so hard to catch up and graduate from high school. 2010 is going to come real fast.”

Athletic Director Matt Maeda urged them to get involved in extracurricular activities, noting that the school has 22 sports and many clubs, such as drama, band and student government.

“You guys are going to be here for four years, but there’s 3,000 kids.... It would be very easy to get lost in the crowd,” he said. “You don’t want to be someone who just attends San Gorgonio. You want to become part of San Gorgonio.”

In an algebra class, teacher Leyla Avila warned her students about the expected workload.

“How many of you are used to getting homework every day?” she asked the class of nearly 30 students. A couple students giggled nervously and one raised her hand.

“This is high school, you will be getting homework every day. If you’re not used to it, welcome to the high school world. It’s like basketball: If you want to be good, you have to practice.”

The day wasn’t all seriousness, though. The students tried on graduation gowns and posed for pictures that will be sent home and posted on campus.

By the end of the day, Amanda Martinez, 13, felt at ease.

Attending high school for the first time on the official first day would have been nerve-wracking, she said.

“You don’t know all 3,000 kids, and they’re all 18 years old,” Amanda said. She was nervous that morning, “but now it’s OK. I went around school for a couple hours and I know people.”