For eighth grade students, touring the high school they will attend in the new school year is crucial so they know what to expect when they begin classes. Salt Point Center’s (SPC) soon to be high schoolers toured the Resilience Academy (RA) on June 8, where they were guided by the experts – their future classmates.
The SPC students were split into groups of two and showed around the school’s various classrooms and shared spaces by two RA student tour guides, who also spoke to them about the many elective courses they can take, including digital media literacy and history of gaming.
RA Junior Evan Clinton has volunteered to lead tours of the school ever since he started there. He emphasizes the importance of staying on track and completing all assignments so students can graduate on time. He finds students relate more to him than if an adult led the tour and noted how attentive his group was.
“I was trying to keep them on track when we did the tour and they did well for the most part,” Clinton recalled. “Not only do they find it fun, I find it fun too.”
SPC eighth grader Lukas Franz is most looking forward to taking gym, English language arts and science classes when he starts at RA. He credits SPC Guidance Counselor Samantha Esposito for preparing him and his classmates to transition to high school and enjoyed being led around by the RA students.
“It’s cool seeing the students actually do it,” Franz said of the tour.
Once back from the tour, Principal Kiesha Tillman praised SPC staff for preparing their students for high school. She added that students will learn one skill that is just as vital as reading, writing and arithmetic.
“We are always looking to see how we can make students become more independent – whether it’s doing things by yourself, advocating for yourself or if it’s communicating,” Tillman said. “We are two schools on the same campus and we’re trying to make your transition to high school as easy as possible.”
