By ALISHA MCDARRIS
Record Herald Writer
Courtesy of the Weekly Record Herald; Printed 8-26-11
WEST MILTON – When Milton Union High School plans their freshman orientation, they mean business. At Milton, freshman orientation isn’t just about meeting the teachers, printing out schedules and sitting through a boring assembly. At Milton, it’s a two-day event that freshman don’t want to miss.
The Freshman Focus Orientation Camp, which took place this Monday from noon-4:00 and Tuesday from 8:00-noon certainly had camp-like qualities. Principals and guidance counselors at the school make sure the new students have a blast while getting all the information they need about the new school year and becoming acclimated to the new environment. Sure, the students go through their schedules, get a tour of the school and receive tips on what to expect the first day, but they also get practice with opening their lockers, a fashion show in dress-code guidelines, and an assurance they’ll know exactly what’s going on when the first bell rings on Wednesday.
It’s also a great chance to get to know their fellow freshman and some upper classmen, too. Over the two days of camp they’ll play team-building and get-to-know-you games and exercises to build camaraderie and celebrate with a pep-rally at the end of the day on Tuesday. See, the teachers don’t run the orientation camp, the students do. Students that will be juniors and seniors this year take charge in a sort of mentoring role to keep the freshman having fun, but also focused on success.
“It’s an amazing program,” said Paula Shaw, guidance councilor at Milton Union High School. “It’s awesome to watch the student leaders take charge and run the program and own the program. It’s totally in their hands—that’s what’s so neat about it.”
The student leader program doesn’t end when school starts. For their entire freshman year students will be taught by the upper-classmen every week in focus classes, offered guidance and insight, and assisted by them when help is needed.
“The mentors take their jobs personally,” Shaw explained.
The core of the program is to get 100 percent of MU students a diploma. Four years ago the program was implemented at the school in an attempt to raise the graduation and student retention rate. Modeled after a program used by a high school in Columbus, Shaw loved the idea of a program that would foster relationships and connections within the school. She knew freshman needed to be the focus to decrease drop-out rates and the plan sounded like a good one. So far it looks like it’s working. Milton Union’s retention rate has increased four percent since the program started and the first class to try out the program boasted a 100 percent graduation rate, a number any school would be proud of. In fact, MUHS is getting noticed. Shaw and her student leaders have been invited to several conferences to share their thoughts and ideas on the program with other schools.
The student leaders will spend the year mentoring, helping the freshmen with homework, giving guidance and erasing the gap between upper- and lower-classmen. The leaders enjoy getting to know their assigned freshman and looking out for them throughout the year.
“My favorite part of the program is knowing they don’t feel like I did when I was a freshman,” student leader Sydney Helsinger stated. She and fellow leader Cassie Schieltz, both seniors, are sad that this will be their last year participating.
Though the camp isn’t mandatory, Shaw said that all but four or five freshman didn’t show up, which certainly says something about the good of the program. This year 39 mentors will be guiding over 130 freshmen through their first year of high school and building relationships that last. Shaw’s goal, as well as that of all the student leaders, is to make sure the new students, thrown into a whole new world of bigger kids, combination locks, and multi-level school buildings, know that there is help and that they don’t have to do it alone.
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