By Sam Robinson
Graduates of middle schools in Zionsville face another four years of education at the high school, and some might be concerned about how they’ll transition to a new school.
Zionsville Community High School assistant principal Greg Hall said that new students have nothing to fear because he works with students to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Hall has been an assistant principal at ZCHS for nine years, and he’s in charge of helping students assimilate to high school life. He oversees the freshman center, which provides support for students finding it difficult to adapt to high school.
“What leads to the most anxiety for freshman is the building transition,” Hall said. “We try to mitigate that and make them feel comfortable.”
There’s a freshman kick-off event held every August that helps dispel some of that anxiety. New students have the opportunity to explore the school and talk with other students.
“Students start to accept more responsibility for their learning experience,” Hall said. “That looks like seeking out help when it’s necessary, seeking that independence.”
But the high school doesn’t throw them into the deep end right away.
“We work with them to understand the transcript, that’ll ultimately be viewed by a college admission officer or a future employer,” he said.
Hall also said that students adapting socially is a part of the process of growing up and finding oneself.
“We know when students develop an identity for themselves, they perform better academically,” Hall said.
Hall said that teachers and guidance counselors are a resource for students to discover extracurricular and sports that would help a student discover their passions.
“It’s really one of the rewarding parts of this particular job to see them enter as a 14 year old freshman to see them walk across the stage,” Hall said.