At the Freshman Orientation on Monday, I delivered a brief talk on how 9th graders can find their way most easily and successfully in CA’s Upper School. Below are the tips I offered and a summary of the reasoning behind them.

There is no more important factor to academic success at CA. Students need to keep track of all the different things they do around here and then try their best to follow through on their responsibilities. That means more is expected of them than in middle school. First trimester freshmen especially may not fully appreciate that their lives will be much busier than they were in middle school and therefore the development of a time management plan is essential. We always say that we don’t really care what a student’s organizational system is – whether a planner in book form, smartphone app, computer program, whatever—as long as he or she has one. Teachers and advisors will help students develop these systems but it’s up to every student to really stick to their organizational plan and make it work for them.

Communication is vital in just about everything we do at CA. Building a relationship with your classroom teachers is especially important in becoming a “professional student” here. Students should use the designated help time (built into our rotating schedule) or see a teacher before or after school. They should send an e-mail to teachers when they need clarification on an assignment or want to try out an essay idea or need to alert a teacher about an upcoming absence. They should seek help and support as needed but also find time just to chat with their teachers to build a better rapport. That is what our teachers are here for!

Our athletic teams provide a great way to work with a wide range of students and to collaborate towards a common goal. They help students feel a part of something greater than themselves. And at CA we try to make sure everyone plays on a team. Our team sports are successful in terms of wins and losses, but even more so in building character and camaraderie amongst students and coaches.

CA is a small school where we need as many students as possible involved in our major clubs—especially service-based groups like AfricAid and Students HOPE. Kokopelli (the literary magazine) and Yearbook always need extra staff members as well. Clubs serve many important interests outside of the standard academic curriculum. The time commitment need not be extensive but again the involvement helps build a sense of community.

There are ample opportunities for these interactions, including sports and club involvement mentioned above. There are also numerous arts classes and a few academic classes that have mixed grades within them. Socially, older students will reach out as well. We really try to promote the “big brother/big sister” model here, as our older students serve as mentors to their younger peers.

This is a metaphor for perseverance. There will certainly be patches of wavy water and a headwind or two, but as long as students keep moving forward they will be fine. There is ample support for students along the way.

With so much going on, it is possible for students to get overloaded or stressed out. Then they might not truly enjoy all the wonderful things they signed up for. Our two Community Council leaders, who also spoke to the 9th graders on Orientation Day, had great advice from their years of experience: first of all, breathe. Second of all, enjoy the journey. You only get these four years once. I would concur that success in our school depends on keeping everything in proper perspective. Sleep, healthy relationships and a good laugh now and then are just as vital as making the honor roll.