Welcome to High School: Freshman Orientation Recap

The class of 2029 and Link Crew recaps there about Freshman Orientation.

By Chloe Falcon-Barros and Fabian Anguiano

On Thursday, August 7th, Link Crew hosted its annual freshman orientation for Redwood’s incoming freshmen.  

It allows the incoming freshmen to receive their schedules, tour the campus, and meet some new friends. 

Liliana Madrigal, ‘26, participated in the freshman orientation and shared her views on how it went. 

Madgrial says, “The freshmen orientation went great, as the seven kids I was assigned were respectful and kind. My partner and I felt that we had been really lucky to receive the best kids.” 

Freshman students at orientation talked about what they hope to achieve this school year. They shared their excitement and nerves about starting high school. 

Many students look forward to making new friends, exploring interests, and doing well in their classes. As they considered their feelings about leaving middle school, some felt nostalgic for the familiar, while others were eager for new challenges. 

Students also shared their opinions on the orientation experience. They appreciated the activities that helped them adjust, the friendliness of their peers, and the useful tips from older students and teachers on how to navigate high school life. 

This exchange of thoughts helped create a sense of community among the newcomers.

Devon Valdez, ’29, coming from Ridgeview Middle School, expressed his feelings about high school. He says, “I feel pretty confident coming here, I feel happy being here.”

Jaelyen Armendariz, ‘29, also from Ridgeview Middle School, shared her thoughts. She says, “Pretty nervous, it’s a new thing for me, so we’ll just see.”

Touring the campus, the freshmen were able to set their sights higher for the upcoming school year.

Braxton Thacher, ’29, from La Joya Middle School commented on expects high school to be chaotic and crazy.

Thacher says, “Chaotic. I know that crazy things happen here,” which makes sense given the size of the school with over 2,000 students.

Amber Aceves, ‘29, coming from Oak Grove Middle School, shared her perspective. She says, “Honestly, I didn’t think it would be this big.”

The experience has provided the Link Crew leaders with a fresh perspective on the incoming freshmen, allowing them to appreciate the unique qualities and challenges faced by new students as they transition into high school.

Sienna Luna, ‘26 shares her views on the incoming freshmen. 

Luna says, “ I did get a different perspective on the incoming freshmen; they were very timid at first, but once they all got to know one another, they were so excited and talkative.”

Tags: clubs & lifestyles, Freshman, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, visalia ca