Rick Minniefield
Big Man, Big Heart, Big Smile, Big Life Changes
Professional Speaker & Leadership Consultant
Freshmen Frolics: Incoming freshmen at Pomona High School take part in an orientation game during Fantastic Freshman Friday in the gym on Friday morning. Wednesday is the first day of school for the fall term. (Tom Zasadzinski, Staff Photographer)
It’s a fantastic Friday for Pomona’s freshman class
POMONA—For young people, starting high school has the potential to be an exciting or an excruciating experience.
“I'm hoping it's gonna be really fun,” said Justin Davila, 14, who will be starting school at Pomona High School on Wednesday.
But as much as he is looking forward to starting, he is just as apprehensive. “What are my teachers gonna be like?” is one of Justin's concerns. He's also hoping that all his classes, not just one or two are exciting, he said.
To help ease those concerns, Pomona High School organized its first Fantastic Freshman Friday. More than 100 students attended the daylong event to help break the ice and give the students early exposure to some of the resources available to them.
The day was filled with information on time management, goal setting and study skills. And to make the freshmen feel even more at home at upcoming pep rallies, cheerleaders were on hand to teach the school cheers.
“Rick Minniefield, a graduate of Garey High School [in Pomona] and the event's guest speaker, urged the students to get involved in sports, school clubs and may other opportunities they will have at Pomona High School.”
This approach should help make students feel more comfortable in school along with keeping them from dropping out of school, teachers said.
One of the teachers who worked on putting together the program is Alex Martin. Every year teachers and administrators see hundreds of freshmen start school and then watch as hundreds drop out and classes shrink by the time graduation comes around, he said. This may provide kids with the necessary skills to stay in school.
Teacher Sheila Balk, who suggested putting on the event, said teen years are often a turbulent time and high school can add to the stress. Figuring out how to get to class and not knowing anyone are just some of the pressures kids face.
Seeing a familiar face in the halls and classrooms may take a little pressure off the first days in school, she said.
“Hopefully, this choice is the first positive choice in a series,” Balk said, “a choice that will lead to a successful high school career.”
Rick Minniefield, a graduate of Garey High School [in Pomona] and the event's guest speaker, urged the students to get involved in sports, school clubs and many other opportunities they will have at Pomona High School.
Sophomore Gerardo Zepeda, 15, said the day's events will serve the day's event will serve to show the opportunities around campus—such as clubs—that weren't available to him as a freshman.
“We never learned that. Now it's like 'OK, what's going on?' This is great,” he said.
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