Balancing school with outside activities. Performing CPR. Avoiding plagiarism. Preparing for college and career.
Those were some of the big topics covered during part two of Freshmen Orientation at Briarcliff High School this week. While juniors and some sophomores were taking the PSAT exams, the freshmen class were getting a crash course in how to succeed in high school.
In a session on work/life balance, social worker Tim Pellegrin began by asking the students: “How can you go through high school feeling successful and relatively in control of things, feeling well and not too stressed or overwhelmed with too much going on and not enough hours in the day?”
Student Assistance Counselor Meredith Ohmes and science teacher Yelena Silverman also presented on work/life balance. The presentation included tried-and-true time-management tips and strategies, recommendations for helpful books and creative organization ideas. Students learned how to choose the clubs or activities they would most enjoy and find most valuable.
They also learned how to prioritize their time by categorizing urgent and non-urgent activities, as well as important and unimportant activities. Students were encouraged to visit the school’s Wellness Center for additional resources.
The tips and words of advice resonated with the students.
“I learned that it’s better to have two really strong extracurricular activities rather than multiple activities,” said a student named Hudson. “I think that’s helpful.”
In other sessions, freshmen learned about plagiarism, as well as about the four-year guidance plan; and how to perform CPR.
Librarian Teka McCabe and English teacher James Tlsty gave a presentation about plagiarism. They provided examples of what constitutes plagiarism, what the long-term consequences are, and how students can avoid plagiarizing another’s work when writing a paper.
Students also learned that there are teachers in the writing lab located at the back of the library who can help them during the day if they need assistance writing a paper. The presentation was followed by a discussion of the four-year plan presented by the counseling department.
In the gym, the physical education department demonstrated CPR skills using a defibrillator and students had the chance to practice on mannequins in small groups.
