As a new school year began, so did the addition of a new building: The Freshman Academy. This building, specifically created to help freshmen navigate high school, is having its first run in the 2020-2021 school year. Since the number of students at HHS increases rapidly each year, the district added additional space to accommodate the large population.
The building was created for a specific purpose, so Brad Seamer, the assistant principal and administrator of the Freshman Academy, explains the goal they hope to achieve with the new addition: “We wanted to provide a better transition into high school for our incoming freshmen. The Freshman Academy was designed to allow students to build a community with their classmates from the other middle school and those new to our district.” He then explained that the growth of students in the high school gets larger and larger each year, so an expansion was needed to keep up with the increasing numbers. This year's freshman class has about 420 students and the next few classes should be about the same; therefore, eighteen instructional classrooms, three special education rooms, a commons lunch area, and a field house were included in the addition, along with the hiring of three new teachers.
The addition not only brought new classrooms but also new technology. Before this school year started, all freshmen received an iPad to complete their work. Colby Peterson, a freshman social studies teacher, states his opinion on the new iPads: “There has been a learning curve for all of us with the iPad, especially teachers. Several apps are different and also websites are different using the iPad. Students have been great teachers this year in helping us all learn as we go.” Because all previous classes have used Macbooks to learn, this is a huge change that brings both opportunity and initial challenges.
A few freshmen were asked about the disadvantages they encounter with the addition of the Freshman Academy, and they all seem to agree on one challenge: walking distance. A current freshman student, Emma Dirks, explains her disadvantage: “The only challenge I have faced is getting to and from some of my classes in the main high school. It’s a really long walk.” With such a big facility, this disadvantage is bound to challenge students who navigate the building.
On the plus side, students have found many advantages to the addition. The following include some aspects the freshman love: easy transitions from class to class, learning in a completely new building, having a designated area for freshmen, and seeing familiar faces in the halls. In the end, the Freshman Academy has proven to be a very useful and needed building this school year for both teachers and students.