Pages are flying off of the calendar and somehow it is already November.
Bruins have mixed emotions when it comes to the passing of the school year, and with the recent ending of the quarter, those emotions are coming out.
Freshman Emmy Christensen has a good outlook on how her freshman year will go.
“I thought it was going to be stressful and hard to fit in, but it’s not,” she said. “It’s been pretty easy, and easy to keep up with stuff. I think slowly it will get harder but if I keep up with it, I think I can manage it.”
Bear River Principal, Dr. Amy Besler, believes that the real settling in will happen now that the quarter is over.
“I think this is the moment when reality sets in for some of our students, particularly if they are struggling academically,” Dr. Besler said. “The beginning part of the year is challenging, because it has so much to do with figuring out expectations and adjusting accordingly. I feel like the 2nd Quarter is the time when things start to fall into place — students who are struggling begin to really reach out for help, knowing that they need to do it now, before it’s too late. Freshmen and other new students begin to really feel at home and are more confident, academically and otherwise.”
Dr. Besler continued with a lot of enthusiasm for the quarter.
“I feel that we are off to a great start this year,” she said. “We have developed a much greater level of continuity in our expectations school-wide, which I believe is really positive and is evident in all of our classrooms. I also feel that the implementation of our Core Values has been really successful; I see and hear people talking about the values everywhere I go. Students are being recognized for their demonstration of values, which is awesome.”
Amy Burcham, a junior, had fun and enjoyed the first quarter.
“The first quarter of my junior year was really fun,” Burcham said. “Because I’m an upperclassman, I get to have a top locker. You just feel more powerful at school; You feel more important, to me I mean. When I was freshman, I felt so unimportant and sophomore I thought ‘well I’m not a freshman so I’m not a baby, but I’m not a senior so I’m not a senior.’ I’m in the middle and I’m working my way up.”
Burcham had another, not so happy point of view.
“When I was in Eighth grade I thought ‘Oh high school is going to be the best years of my life,’” she said. “High school sucks man, don’t go to high school… I’m doing okay, still holding on.”
Senior Dylan King agrees with the anti-high school attitude.
“I pictured my senior year how I pictured my freshman, sophomore, and junior year. Slow and painful,” King said. “But by the end of the year, you are happy. So far it’s slow and painful, but I know I’ll be happy”
King proceeded to show his disinterest towards high school.
“I’m kinda just done with trying, but I have to for school,” he said. “I’ve had senioritis since freshman year because as much as I love sitting in class listening to lectures, I don’t love sitting in class listening to lectures.”
Dr. Besler explained how the campus will change for the better in the coming months.
“I feel like our atmosphere continues to become more supportive and connected as the year goes on, as everyone grows more comfortable in their new roles on campus,” Dr. Besler said. “As students get to know staff members and peers better, they tend to feel happier and more engaged at school. I am excited that I have been able to get to know many students this fall and feel like I am developing relationships with them, which is the best part of my job.”
