New Students Learn 102 Does Not Necessarily Follow 101

By Laurie Borst

On the morning of August 21, 30 students arrived at the Media Center for an introduction to Newtown High School. Upon arrival, they were greeted by guidance counselors Gerry Waterbury and Brett Nichols.

Seven members of SOS were on hand to assist. SOS stands for, depending on whom you ask, Students Offering Support/Services/Suggestions. These students, veterans at NHS, have volunteered to help new students and freshman navigate Newtown High.

NHS is a very large building with a classroom numbering system that can seem daunting. Room 101 is not necessarily next to room 102. Maps are provided to the new students.

After a short introduction, students were broken into groups, each group assigned to an SOS member. They had a few minutes of question-and-answer.

An ice-breaker activity followed designed to get the students talking to each other. It was a “human scavenger hunt,” where each student had to find someone who had been born in Connecticut, another who had attended a Yankees game, etc.

With course schedules in hand, the groups were taken on a tour of the building, their assistant pointing out where classes would be held. The tours ended in the senior courtyard, with a pizza lunch provided.