To help assuage the jitters that accompany transitioning to a new school, Del Val hosted its annual orientation-style OASIS event for new students one week prior to the first day of classes.
The day was segmented into eight sessions, in which students met their guidance counselors, practiced how to be a fan at athletic events and learned about the code of conduct and how to use Del Val technology. There were also sessions led by Peer Leaders to give students the opportunity to ask questions of those who had been in their shoes just a few years earlier.
Director of curriculum Tara Civitillo believes OASIS helps new students start off on the right foot.
“OASIS is an opportunity for students who are new to Del Val, whether they’re freshmen or incoming upperclassmen, to come into the school, get a tour of the building, access their lockers, walk through their schedules and get a better sense of the rules, policies and procedures that will help them succeed at Del Val,” Civitillo said. “I think it’s important for freshmen because they are coming into a new environment with 100 plus other new kids that they’ve never met before. There’s a lot of anxiousness that can come with it, and you really want to make sure that they have the opportunity to acclimate before the chaos of the first day ensues.”
Incoming freshman Leah Britt appreciated the opportunity to slow down and walk through her classes prior to said “chaos.”
“I think the tour was great because I think I would have gotten lost on the first day of school if we didn’t have this,” Leah Britt said.
Another freshman, Macie Flynn, enjoyed the opportunity for socialization that OASIS provided.
“I knew other people [before today], but I felt like I got to talk to them more and got to know them more,” Flynn said.
As another way to socialize, junior Jaclynn Gonsalves urges new students to branch out when it comes to joining extracurricular activities.
“I think that it’s very important for freshmen to try new things, and even if they don’t like it and don’t end up pursuing it in the future, it’s just good to know you tried,” Gonsalves said.
To help encourage new students to take this leap, OASIS ended with an activity fair hosted by club advisers and upperclassmen.
“The activity fair gives them a chance to meet kids who are in different activities, but it also is that low-key time like, ‘I can ask questions. I have time. The person’s there,'” Civitillo said. “That’s one of the better things. Even if that’s all they came for, just to see what we offer.”
At the conclusion of the event, students got back on the buses with new skills and information to guide them into the next week. Freshman Myles Kunzmann left OASIS feeling excited for the four years to come.
“I really did enjoy today,” Kunzmann said. “I think it was five out of five stars, and I recommend going to this high school.”
