Linden Avenue Middle School’s outgoing eighth-grade class took an important step toward becoming Red Hook High School’s incoming freshman class Friday.
The students took a trip down the sidewalk to the high school Friday morning for a transition session in which they ultimately made preliminary selections for their elective classes and academic tracks next year.
The students heard from Principal Dr. Kyle Roddey, members of the Student Services department, and several teachers from such departments as English, music, technology and social studies. Junior Tatiana Feiden also spoke about the benefits and support offered by the Mentoring Club, which eases the transition to high school.
Throughout, Roddey stressed the importance of building skills and making full use of the high school’s offerings.
“Every day, there’s new technology breakthroughs. The world is changing. Jobs that have been steady, consistent jobs for 100 years are vanishing, like that,” Roddey said. “You all need to be thinking like, ‘What skills do I need to be successful?’ … The great thing is, in this building, you get access to so many different opportunities, whether through clubs, classes, all sorts of experiences. Each and every one of you can graduate in four-and-a-half years with a tremendous skillset.”
Near the outset, School Counselor Nicole Schmidt walked the students through the minimum requirements to graduate so they had a better understanding of where in their schedules they have options to customize their learning experience through options for fulfilling requirements, electives and specialized graduation pathways.
While the presentation did not go into depth on every program and elective offered – students were handed informational packets to read about each – the high school staff connected the dots of which classes freshman year can lead to which specialized classes as a junior and senior.
In addition to the many options in traditional subjects like English, Roddey and the teachers discussed several unique programs in theater, computer science and hands-on technology, including the planned additional courses coming next year in cybersecurity and a CTE pathway in welding.
“We offer so many things here that other small schools just don’t do,” Roddey said. “The options that you have aren’t ones that other kids at other schools our size have.
“When I talk about getting skills and strengthening all the things you offer to the world and making yourself more marketable, or just being able to create beautiful art or fix something around the house, which a lot of adults struggle with,” he said. “I don’t want any of you to look back in 5, 10, 15 years and say, ‘I wish I left high school having taken advantage of more opportunities.’”