On Aug. 5, the incoming freshmen had their first ever assembly at McKinley High School’s gymnasium so they could interact with one another, as well as be informed through various speeches.
The day started at 8 a.m in the gym where many teachers, as well council members, shared some encouraging words for the new high schoolers. The freshmen were seated in the seniors section.
Here are some of the inspiring quotes from Principal Ron Okamura’s speech:
“From now on, until the day you graduate, you are now a McKinley Tiger.”
“You’re no longer little kids, and no one is gonna be there to hold your hand.”
“Be on track every year. Work hard, smile.”
“Try new things.”
“If you struggle, isn’t that helpful?”
According to interviewed students, the majority of them felt pressured from the expectations set for them, yet determined to do their best to exceed. By the sound of it, not only were they informed about the schools’ staff and history, they also got to experience being kids to help them relax after the pressure of his speech. They played games that allowed them to talk to each other, get to know one another, and most importantly, have fun.
Additionally, many freshmen praised the band that played as the Ignition team went over the lyrics to the Alma Mater, and Black and Gold to help them feel a sense of belonging. They went over the lyrics multiple times as it was going to take a while for the ninth graders to fully grasp it.
After the assembly orientation, there was a bit of confusion trying to split the freshmen up into their Ignition groups, but after that was figured out, the rest of the day went pretty smoothly. In their groups, they then went to the auditorium for a powerpoint presentation to continue learning more about McKinley traditions and how the credits work in order to graduate.
Additionally, the high schoolers played many ice breaker games including name games, trust falls, and did teamwork races against other Ignition teams to get more comfortable with their peers and environment. Once all of the fun games were done, they had lunch where everyone had time to reconnect with friends to talk story. Following their lunch break, freshmen had nine minute class periods where they went through all of their seven class periods in order.
