May 27, 2021
As we approach the end of the school year, our 8th graders are thinking seriously about the next chapter: high school! At this point, our students have solidified their plans for next year and are filled with questions.
To help prepare them for next year, we have an annual tradition: High School Hang-Out. Each year, TDS alums return to spend time “hanging out” with our graduating 8th graders! This year, we had to transition to a virtual meeting, which we held this past Tuesday night.
Our awesome panel of alumni!
We started with each of the alums sharing their #1 piece of advice. It quickly became apparent that the advice had a common theme: everything is going to be okay! Each alum talked about how our graduates shouldn’t stress, and should feel comfortable asking for help, whether from teachers or from other students.
After our alums shared their advice, we split into breakout rooms, where graduating 8th graders were paired up with high schoolers who currently attend the 8th graders’ school of choice. We had representatives from Durham Academy, Eno River Academy, Riverside Engineering, Jordan High School, and Cardinal Gibbons ready to answer questions about their schools. I initially gave the kids ten minutes in their breakout rooms, but that quickly stretched to thirty minutes, as the alumni shared their wisdom, stories, and gossip.
We’re glad the 8th graders got this opportunity to ask questions, and we hope that this assuaged their fears about this upcoming transition.
