Class of 2015 orientation helps prepare 9th graders for coming school year

August 2011 

Approximately 18 members of the Class of 2015 are a step ahead in their transition to high school after participating in Watervliet’s grade 9 summer orientation program from Aug. 15-18.

Mornings during the orientation program were devoted to helping students develop academic and social skills such time management, note- and test-taking strategies as well as conflict resolution, dealing with peer pressure and making positive choices.

In the afternoon, students immersed themselves in a video project, learning new technology skills. The new ninth-graders learned to produce a video from start to finish, including script writing, and shooting and editing videotape.

Drawing on their own junior high experiences, the ninth-grade students worked in small teams to produce the 3-5 minute videos that offered “survival” tips for incoming grade 7 students such study hard, don’t be late to school, don’t share the combination to your locker with anyone, and just have a fun year. The students’ videos also included a virtual tour of the building with an emphasis on the new gym, the new cafeteria, the auditorium and the library. Their video projects will be used to welcome the Class of 2019 to Watervliet Junior/Senior High School during Grade 7 orientation beginning Aug. 22.

The four-day Grade 9 orientation also included a field trip to Hudson Valley Community College where students participated in a scavenger hunt and toured the library, the campus center, and several academic departments. Students spoke with college admissions staff to learn more about the courses HVCC offers and to discuss career options worth exploring during their high school years. The students also received information on transferring credits should they decide to continue their education at a four-year college or university, as well as information about HVCC’s athletic and intramural programs.