The class of 2028 arrived here at Arroyo on January 25, 2024 to get a taste of what high school will look like. Many Knights helped guide them and shared with the incoming freshmen can expect.
This event couldn’t have taken place without the help of Link Crew. They worked hard to guide the students around the school and make sure that the incoming students felt welcomed. Link Crew president Krissia Valle said, “I was the MC for the freshman preview day, put up posters, decorated the gym, set up tables for clubs, and kept them hype up for the 8th grade, however it was the link crew leaders that gave them an awesome tour and helped guide the 8th graders to each succession which was amazing.”
Link Crew advisors, Ms. Katy Melvey and Ms. Hannah Phelps helped guide the link crew members into success by helping plan out what happened. Link Crew advisor, Ms. Phelps explained the process of prepping for the 8th graders, “The Link Crew Leaders prep ahead of time by dividing themselves into smaller groups that will each lead 8th graders from a specific school through the various stations on campus. We also prepare conversation starters and group games so that the Leaders can interact with the 8th graders and get them talking and thinking about how they want to be involved in high school. Link Crew’s job for 8th Grade Preview Day is to get the 8th graders where they need to go and to make it a positive experience for them to visit our campus.”
After many days of prepping and planning, Freshman Preview Day was an overall success. Link Crew advisor, Ms. Melvey explained, “Our ultimate goal is to prepare our Link Leaders to meet and escort the arriving 8th graders. We worked hard to train our leaders on Icebreakers, games, and conversation starters to help share how amazing our school is. We absolutely met and exceeded our expectations. Ms. Phelps, Ms. Salazar, and I are incredibly proud of the leadership our Link Leaders showed throughout the day. Without them, the event would not have been as successful.”
Link Crew is full of juniors and seniors who have already experienced years of high school so it is important for them to create a memorable and successful experience for the 8th graders, soon to be freshmen Knights. Link Crew’s goal is to ultimately bring in the 8th graders with a warm, comforting welcome so that the students have a sense of belonging and excitement when they think of their future at Arroyo. Link Crew Member, senior, Grace Tran said, “I think this event is very helpful for the 8th graders as it helps them learn more about the school and makes them more comfortable about the transition to high school.”
Club and sports teams were there before the event to start to represent and promote extracurricular activities that the incoming freshmen have the opportunity to be a part of. Varsity Baseball Captain, Fernando Gonzalez stated, “A lot of students definitely showed interest in the sport, meaning that we’re probably going to have a lot of students coming out next year and trying out. They seemed excited about it and having the opportunity to sign up and join.”
Durfee student Bradley Wheelock said, “I think I’m ready. I don’t think it’s going to be that bad. I think it will be fun, meeting new people and stuff.”
Durfee 8th grader Lenny Ramos described the environment of Arroyo as “ very nice. “There’s a lot of cool people here.” He is also excited for,“the electives. Specifically journalism.”
Current Arroyo student’s advice for the incoming freshmen is “to definitely branch out and don’t be afraid to try new things such as clubs and sports, especially early on in high school as it’ll help them make many new friends,” said Grace Tran.
As the middle schoolers continue to prepare for their first year in high school, Arroyo students have been left with their first impressions. “The 8th graders had a different vibe, I had different expectations from what I thought. I saw them run around with their friends and how excited they seemed to be in high school and it was nostalgic for me when I first came into high school.” said Kelly Nguyen.