Let’s be honest, freshmen have been considered an annoying problem since they rolled out oftheir safety zone playground where they “ruled the school.” So when they come to high school, we upperclassmen better watch out, right?

         Because these former eighth grade dictators of the kindergarteners are here and they mean business! First off, let me say, yes, there are some ok freshman from K-8 schools but let’s also say that majority make us cringe every time the intercom announces “Freshman Friday,” the traditional trash canning of the freshmen, an upperclassmen’s warm welcome, will result in suspension. Not saying that I aman “active canner” but sometimes freshman need a little wake-up call.

         Their minds are so set to the playground they don’t realize, “Hey, I’m in high school now maybe it’s time to grow up?” No, all they’re thinking is “All right! I’m even more bad cause I’m in high school!” This is what makes me want to tell freshmen to go “back to elementary school because we don’t want you here!”

          Let’s look at it, freshmen have the highest percent of failing grades in high school, majority of fights are from those rowdy tough freshmen, (told you guys we should watch out!) and who usually do you see bouncing around in the hallways during class like a bunch ofout of control jack rabbits looking for the potty? FRESHMEN, now would we want that here?

         So let’s go to the root. That’s right, let’s talk about your beloved K-8 schools. They replace dmiddle schools. Remember middle school? You know, way back in the “old” days a school that consisted of seventh and eighth graders … gave them a little taste of what high school would be like? Yeah, what happened to that? Now we got kindergarteners mixing in with 13 year olds. Research shows that the idea of K-8 schools was to smooth the transition of the sixth grade to the seventh grade, build a stronger relationship with students and teachers and to create seventh and eighth grade role models to the younger students.

         Well that’s great except, what about the transition from being in the same school for eight years to coming to ninth grade in high school? What about when students get too used to the elementary environment and don’t know how to react when removed? And when instead of being leaders to the younger students these seventh and eighth graders turn into bullies and think they rule the school? What’s going to happen when they get into high school? Where there is no playground or younger kids to look down upon, these kids (yes kids) who were used to being the almighty eighth graders are now thrown into an environment where they are the underdog.

         Middle school gave students a chance to handle six or seven classes, be thrown in with students older than them, and a higher expectation of them. They had the “freshman” feel as seventh graders so coming into high school, they had a sense of how to act, but since we want to baby the 13 and 14 year olds and keep them in elementary we can’t be surprised when they come in to high school without a clue.