Back-to-School: New Faces, New Friendships, and New Learning Foundations
Teachers Mrs. Miller and Mr. Senesse are both new to Weddington this year, moving from England through a teacher exchange program. Mrs. Miller and Mr. Senesse represent just two of the twenty teachers new to Weddington this year.
For many students, going back to school can be a burden, but for many more it can also be a blessing. While ready to get back into routine, many students miss that extra hour or two of sleep. However, going back to school also brings new excitements – not only do students have a different schedule with a different set of classes, but they also have the opportunity to see familiar faces and even meet new ones. As an incoming class of more than 400 freshman and an additional sea of transfer students begin to wander the halls of Weddington, a new set of 20 teachers, counselors, and administrators also look to make their mark.
As fall approaches and the leaves begin to change it is impossible to ignore the upcoming football games, performances, and other school events. For those students and teachers who are new, the amount of activity can seem a little overwhelming. In a school full of different personalities and different backgrounds – and a student section filled with a wave of green-passionate students – it can be a lot to take in at first. It takes some adjusting and some room for growth, but those new faces will become the next group of roaring fans filling the stands.
However, behind the social aspect of the new year also comes learning opportunities and foundations. While the content in each course stays relatively the same, new learning avenues are formed as access to technology increases. For example, this year Weddington High School students received brand-new Chromebooks. Teachers are also starting to implement new learning pathways by allowing students to use their phones for learning (i.e Kahoot, Quizlet Live, etc). This year also brings students, old and new, the opportunity to use technology, social communication, and other new opportunities to enhance their learning experience and prepare them for the modern world, where skills in technology and social media are becoming just as valuable as math and grammar. With Chromebooks in hand and minds ready, all that’s left to do is to prepare for the promising school year ahead.
