Junior High Information!
Day filled with different activities.
by Chuck Wergin
August 24, 2010
Bullying, technology, and leadership are all topics that students at Milford Junior High now know more about. On Thursday, August 19th the first ever Junior High Orientation Day was held for all seventh and eighth grade students. There were sessions all morning with students rotating between six different rooms. The afternoon featured a speaker from the TeamMates organization, a game of kickball, and an assembly for students grades 7-12. Pizza and pop were also provided for lunch.
The following were the featured speakers and sessions. Mrs. Mowinkel discussed technology and the necessary skills for using technology successfully in the junior high.
A session on bullying was lead by Mrs. Seibel. She discussed with students the definition of bullying, punishments for bullying, and who to talk to if you are being bullied. Also, several video clips were shown to students, and since it is currently such a hot topic the issue of cyber bullying was covered.
Mr. Restau and Mr. Carritt presented information on leadership and time management. Included in this session was information on how to use a planner effectively at school and each night at home.
Organization and note taking were the two topics covered by Mr. Desmond and Mrs. Tarr. They taught students how to organize their lockers, binders, and notes.
The guidance counselor, Mr. Fields, paired up with Mrs. Mathiesen to present three separate topics. Fields discussed the various services provided by the guidance office. Proper study habits and test taking strategies were covered by Mathiesen.
Finally the administrators, Mr. Meyer and Mr. Mowinkel, talked about policies and procedures in the junior high and went through the handbook.
Overall, staff and students felt the day was extremely successful. “Junior High Orientation Day changed the way I look at school by explaining what school is really about and why I need it,” said eighth grade student Harley Zimmerman.
Several eighth graders also talked about which sessions they found most helpful. Addison Pauley commented, “The bullying session was the most interesting because of the video clips we watched. It showed what some kids had to go through and how we don’t want our school to be. Jordan Redler had this to say, “Mrs. Tarr and Mr. Desmond taught us how to organize our lockers so we won’t be tardy for class. That was helpful.”
Of course some students will remember other parts of the sessions. “I learned not to leave moldy milk in your locker because it will make the hall smell really bad,” said Jake Mensik.
There were many positives for the day, and both staff and students are looking forward to making it even better next year.
