For more than 15 years, freshmen at Glendale High School kick off their first fall in high school at a Freshman Mixer. Students dance, play games, listen to music and hang out with upperclassmen at the event hosted by Glendale’s Cabinet.
But this year, the Mixer had one small change -- there were more students at the after-school dance than ever before.
“We tried to tie the Mixer more to the academy this year,” said Will Thomas, science teacher, student council sponsor and cheer coach at Glendale High School. “We had the Cabinet members visit our freshman seminar classes to promote the Mixer. We had the largest turn out we’ve ever had this year by upperclassmen intentionally talking to the freshmen.”
Building relationships between students and staff is the foundation for the freshman academy model at Glendale High School. For American Studies English teacher Claire Spence, the academy provides a structure for her to better support her students, she says.
“I’m part of a team that teaches 178 students for American Studies,” said Spence. “In the academy, we have team meetings on a weekly basis, and we’re constantly looking for ways to get to really know the kids. We have to show kids that we truly care, that we’re not just teachers.”
That intentional, personal relationship with each student is built day by day. Last week, Spence and her team started a Lunch Bunch, a weekly effort where each team chooses two students who get to eat pizza and have a casual lunch with their team teachers. Those extra minutes outside of the classroom matter, she said.
“The teachers have really stepped up and are thinking outside of the box about things they can do to develop relationships with our students and help them develop a real love for the high school experience,” said Dr. Natalie Cauldwell, principal at Glendale High School. “Over time, we’ll see tremendous benefits having the kids broken down into teams and working with the same teachers.”
