Graphic by Sage Widdler
Angela Yee
Features Reporter
Newton South students are excited to be back in school five days a week after a year and a half of online and hybrid classes. However, entering high school will always be a big step for incoming freshmen. Now that we have settled into the school year, members of the freshman class have gathered their first impressions of Newton South.
“The main thing I know about South is that it wasn’t going to be like the movies. My first impression of the school was that it was really big and there are a lot more students than there were at my middle school,” said freshman Sofia Dos Anjos.
Many students can also vouch that South’s sports teams and other student activities are entirely different from the limited options that middle schools had to offer. And, as seen at multiple Friday Night Lights games, the freshmen class is excited, spirited, and eager to be involved at South.
Dos Anjos, also on the soccer team and a member of three clubs, shared her overall impressions: “The schedule is fine, and I like the classes and my teachers. I do sports and clubs which are good to do with friends and to meet new people.”
There are a variety of different clubs and communities that South has to offer for all students. Freshman Theo Dubin shared, “My expectations were that I’d have to fend for myself, [but] I was kind of surprised that there’s definitely a community here to lean back on, at least to some degree.”
A larger community also leads to more course offerings to ensure every student is put in a comfortable but also challenging environment.
All students are facing the challenge of adjusting to a new schedule, and sophomores and upperclassmen are getting used to new multileveled science classes. For incoming freshmen, leveled classes in general such as CP, ACP, AACP, and Honors are new. “My biggest challenge is trying to figure out if the classes I’m in are right for me, especially with the new math system this year,” shared Dubin.
Despite an unprecedented school year for all grades, the Newton South Community hopes that the freshmen class feels equally supported and welcomed during their first year of high school.
