At the beginning of this year, La Salle opened its doors to a new group of students. The members of the Class of 2028 walked the hallways for the first time and were introduced to different aspects of the school, ranging from academics to school spirit and sport events.
A little over three months later, here is what five ninth grade students — who were interviewed in late September and early October, and then again in November — have to say.
Community:
These five students saw the strong bond the community had, especially during the home football games and assemblies, which showcased school spirit through cheers and enthusiasm.
“I really like our school spirit because I think it just makes a better environment here at La Salle,” freshman Lillian Downing said. “People just really seem to have more fun.”
Freshman Yasmin Lopez-Estevez, Akil Pinney, Henry Dinh, and Downing, also noticed the inclusivity in school, as well as the diversity.
Lopez-Esteves compared her experience from her former school, St. Luke Catholic School in Woodburn, to La Salle. “I think you guys are really inclusive, and you guys are one really big family,” she said.
When arriving, what did the freshmen think of the size of the community?
Freshman Akil Pinney shared how he wasn’t surprised as his older sister, junior Amara Pinney, had informed him about it before he began attending La Salle.
Downing and Lopez-Estevez had the opposite reaction, explaining how the amount of students shocked them, as it was a lot bigger than their former schools, St. Luke and St. Ignatius School.
Journey:
The transition process from middle school to high school for freshmen Henry Dinh, Lopez-Estevez, Downing, and fellow freshman Grace Gobana, who already knew people prior to starting school, was fairly easy.
For example, Dinh had connections with freshmen and sophomores before arriving, Lopez-Estevez considers herself a social butterfly, Downing met people at volleyball camp, and Gobana had support from her teachers when she came.
However, Pinney had a more difficult time adjusting to the new environment.
Pinney, coming from a public school, shared how he didn’t know anyone other than his sister. In the beginning, that was challenging, but he has gotten close to a lot of people after joining theater.
Along with her desire to meet new people, Lopez-Estevez expressed that her parents chose La Salle, as they thought it would be a safe environment for her, which she agreed with, as she had faith that she would make friends.
“I just talk a lot, and then that’s how I gain friends and gain peers and people to talk to,” she said. She also shared that moving into high school she wanted to focus on her studies, as she admitted to having room to grow in eighth grade.
A big reason that many of these students chose La Salle was for the educational opportunities. Gobana explained that La Salle seemed like a good school to prepare her for college in the future, a sentiment Dinh echoed, as he feels the quality of academics — such as La Salle’s Fine Art Program, which was a major draw for him — played a role in how him and his family selected a high school.
Downing expressed a similar approach, as Gobana and Dinh but also added that sports and family made a major impact because she was a part of the JV2 girls volleyball team at the start of the year after attending volleyball camp and some of her relatives had previously attended La Salle.
Academics:
A big topic that was talked about were their classes and their thoughts about them.
At the beginning of the year, Dinh shared how he was struggling with Physics, particularly in the first unit, though he is aiming to pass with a B or an A. He also shared that to his surprise, he enjoys learning German at La Salle compared to his previous school.
Dinh, Lopez-Estevez, and Gobana all shared their interest in taking Art Foundations. Dinh explained how he is thinking of taking a career that would be involved with art.
Pinney talked about how he was looking forward to the Advanced Coding class taught by Mr. Kyle Voge, as he wants to enter a field related to computer science.
A challenge that presented itself to some of the students is time management.
Many of them talked about how they have been procrastinating. Pinney said that his parents had been helping him remember to do his homework.
A big thing that affects their learning experience are the teachers. Teachers have varying teaching styles and it is conducive for some students learning, and not for others.
Gobana said that in general, her teachers made sure that everyone was aware of their actions around others, and teachers like English teacher Ms. Anna Hooker treated everyone equally and kindly.
Downing saw the work and effort of the teachers in her classes, specifically in the class of World History teacher Mr. Mike Doran.
“They really care about what they do, and they want to make sure you fully grasp each concept,” Downing said, expressing her experience with her teachers.
Pinney’s thoughts about the teaching styles were a bit more mixed.
He liked that some of his teachers made his classes engaging and wishes that all his classes were as interactive.
Dinh shared how he didn’t really prefer a teacher’s teaching style over the other, but he enjoys being with his physics teacher, Mr. Voge.
They have become a little more aware and nervous about finals as classes near the end of the semester. They haven’t taken a final before, so it is going to be a new experience for them.
