By: Christian Whitfield ’23 and Kyle Brady ’23
The Friends’ Central School year has started in a remarkable way! There have already been many activities and opportunities for social interaction with peers. Included in these activities was the annual Ninth Grade Day, which used games and bonding exercises to help students become familiar with one another. Every freshman had a different experience moving into the Friends’ Central community. Some have been attending FCS since kindergarten, and some are new to the school. This year, the ninth grade class welcomed 37 new students along with 42 returning students. This means that the class of 2023 has an exceptional ratio of new students to returning students. No matter what the circumstances are, each ninth grader joins the high school community with a different vision of what to expect. We decided to check in with a few of them to hear about their transitions to Upper School.
Solomon Murphy, who has been going to FCS since kindergarten, stated, “The transition from middle school to high school was a bit challenging, but I got used to the schedule pretty quickly because of my prior knowledge with the school.”
New student Natalie Wherry expressed, “My experience was good, and it was easy to make friends, but the hard part was transitioning with the work.”
Darius Adkins is also new to FCS this year, and he said, “It’s been pretty smooth. People have been super accepting and stuff, and the teachers are great.”
Meanwhile, Jace Anderson, who is in her second year, revealed, “The transition from middle school to high school has proven to be a difficult, yet rewarding experience. The amount of responsibility that we now have is much larger and more strenuous. We have also been given more freedom and trust along with it. It is a slightly jarring change at first, but with time you can get used to it and learn to thrive in the high school environment.”
Megan Gilchrist, an FCS student since sixth grade, declared, “My experience transitioning into the Friends Central high school has been smooth because I have had many more opportunities to complete assignments and study for quizzes and tests than I ever had in middle school.”
Finally, Lauren Coss has been attending FCS since kindergarten, and she said, “I like it, but the workload is so much harder than I thought it would be.”
Though all students have different backgrounds and circumstances that they bring to classes, it is important to remember that everyone is a freshman at some point. We must all learn the experience of getting used to a new high school routine and its work requirements. This year’s freshman class is a prime example of this, with their great mixture of new and returning students. Support from higher grades, peer mentors, and teachers will contribute to a fabulous year for the class of 2023 and will help us remember that it is always best to be supportive of each other.
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