Having been postponed from its original date due to a rise in COVID-19 cases, the freshman expo will be held on Feb. 9 at the Hebron 9th Grade Campus. 

There will be an early informational meeting at 4:45 p.m. in the cafeteria, then an activity expo in the gym from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. showcasing clubs and organizations the school offers. At 6:15 p.m., another informational meeting will be held in the cafeteria for those who cannot make the earlier session. HHS9 also plans to send out online resources for 8th grade families the same week, if not sooner. 

“We’re [going to] use that online platform to reach students and parents who are not able to attend or don’t feel comfortable with attending for whatever reason,” HHS9 principal Amanda Werneke said. “And then we will push out the in-person event.” 

During the 8th grade night, the counselors plan on talking about freshmen life and everything that needs to be achieved in order to graduate.

“We have a whole powerpoint of basic information about how our schedule works,” counselor Brent Hughes said. “[It includes] the requirements for the freshmen, the requirements to graduate [and] what honors [classes are].” 

The next wave of incoming freshmen is believed to be one of the largest classes that HHS9 has ever had, with an estimated number of 950 to 1,000 students. With this, the campus will introduce classes, clubs and organizations that students may be interested in at the 8th grade expo. One of the organizations attending will be AVID, a program that prepares students for a college education and college life. 

“What I would like to highlight with the AVID program is its benefits [for students],” freshman AVID teacher Carolyn Rupert said. “Through AVID, a sense of community is built. We also do a lot of post secondary research and look into opportunities for later on.” 

Incoming freshmen can also look forward to new courses being added next year, such as classes that cater to students who want to be teachers or coaches in the future. Along with an 18-week outdoor education class, that was tabled this year due to the pandemic, administration is also adding a Hospitality and Tourism class. 

“Historically, [Hospitality and Tourism] was a career center class, [but] it will now be offered here,” Hughes said. “It will have a large cooking component. We’re excited to hopefully find a lot of kids who are interested in maybe working in the service industry.” 

Families can use their time at the 8th grade night to not only meet teachers and leaders of organizations, but also walk the building and get a better feel of the environment.

“I want them to just know the nuts and bolts of what’s expected of parents and their kids,” Hughes said. “But beyond that, if they’re coming into the high school experience with a bit of anxiety, I want them to be at ease. We’re a trusted place. We’ll take care of their kids and give them a quality education and tons of opportunity and keep them on the right track. So they can walk out of the building with a sense of confidence that this is a good place for their family.”