Making 9th grade a little easier

Want to watch a grown woman shudder? Bring up 9^th grade. That was the year I entered a new school, in a new area, knowing only four people, had a notorious public fall during freshmen orientation (duck, duck goose is not my game) and engaged in a personal battle with geometry. And, let’s face it, that was just the tip of the iceberg. For many students, 9^th grade is the year that will either make or break their school careers--a fact well known by Burlington-Edison and Sedro Woolley High Schools.

Determined to counteract the culture shock and dropout potential of 9^th grade, Burlington-Edison and several other local schools have created “Freshmen Success Academies,” which combine academic refreshers, mentoring from upperclassmen and targeted counseling to help incoming freshmen learn what it takes to be successful in high school. Burlington-Edison’s “Tiger Success Academy” is a three week-program required for any student who failed or almost-failed 8^th grade. Sedro-Woolley’s three-day “Freshman Academy” helps freshmen understand the importance of grades and credits and what they mean for a student’s future.

Sedro-Woolley assistant prinicipal Jeff Ingram told the Skagit Valley Herald he’s seen a dramatic improvement: “Kids that were apathetic in middle school turned things around and became successful. Probably 30 to 60 percent of the kids were doing better.”

Angie Desler, a math teacher at Burlington-Edison High, said students who go through Tiger Success Academy seem more confident on the first day: “They have an edge. They come in organized and ready to go. It’s a big transition from a K-8 environment to high school.”

I know I sure could have used a Freshman Academy experience. All students will stumble from time to time in high school, but with programs like these preparing students for the challenges that lay ahead, life’s little missteps—be they grappling with geometry or tripping on the “hot guy” during duck, duck goose—don’t have to seem like the end of the world.