The eighth graders from Valley View Middle School were invited to take a tour of Glacier Peak on May 2, which included a walk around the building, a club fair, and a panel of high schoolers willing and able to answer questions asked by the future grizzlies. The ASB-hosted event hopes to help the transition from middle school to high school go as smoothly as it can. This year, the committee was run by Maddie McCallum, Lilly Espinoza, and Emily Meldrom. “I choose to chair the VVMS visit because I know how intimidating and stressful it can be making the switch from middle school to high school. I wanted the incoming freshmen to feel welcomed and excited to come to Glacier Peak next year and hopefully ease some of their nerves,” Emily Meldrom said.
The tour of the school includes a complete walk around the building with two to three group leaders, many of whom are involved in sports, clubs, ASB, and other activities, and are paired with the hope of being able to represent as much as GP has to offer. After the tour, groups can either head up to the AUX gym for the club fair or head to the PAC, where the panel is hosted. “I was able to tour them around the school, show them as many club options, and listen as they asked questions to impactful people at Glacier Peak. They were a bright group who were itching to be part of our community. Juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, we have a great group coming to join us next year,” Marcy Mossburg said.
The panel held a group of 11 students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, each person involved in a different activity. The panel was specifically chosen to have someone be able to answer any questions the eighth graders may have, whether it’s about sports, academics, or anything in between. “The panel went really well. I decided to do it as I think it’s important to help the incoming class learn more about Glacier Peak and have a better understanding of what high school is like,” Geoffrey Herrick said.
The final stop the group made is as the club fair, where over 20 clubs were represented in the hopes of recruiting members for the next year. The students had the opportunity to leave contact information, learn about a club, and fill out a sticker sheet for the chance to win a prize at the closing meeting. “Janie and I would talk to the kids about the clubs for the last little part, we would be able to cheer for them. After that, we would be able to let them go, and I think they all had a pretty good time,” Simon Gaedcke said.
After the groups rotate through each session, they went to lunch with the high schoolers so they could get a sense of what it’s like. The best places to sit, how to get food from the DECA den, and the layout of the lunchroom. Afterwards, they attended the closing statement from Mrs. Corwin and heard the winners from the drawing they submitted at the club fair, where they were then sent back to Valley View. “I had fun hanging out with friends and seeing all the options for clubs. The one I had the most interest in is [Family Consumer Science] because they gave you a cookie,” Grayson Pearce said.