Seeking a chance to learn more about Old Saybrook High School opportunities, the current 8th-grade class at the middle school visited it on November 7th and the majority of students shared it made them more likely to continue their education through Old Saybrook Public Schools. The students participated in a school tour, club fair, and informational session guided by high school staff and students in order to help them make a more informed decision about which high school might be the best fit for them, according to Mr. Plotkin.
From a survey that was sent to the eighth graders who participated, it is clear that the step-up day makes an impact on students, allowing them to gather knowledge and make an informed decision. Sixty percent of students stated that the step-up day made them more likely to continue their academic career in Old Saybrook schools.
OSHS Associate Principal David Plotkin has been one of the biggest advocates for the day since its start three years ago. Mr. Plotkin said, “I think it was my experience as both an 8th grade teacher and a high school teacher – recognizing what that transition is like and wanting to make sure that we’re providing an opportunity for our 8th graders to make a fully informed decision about where they want to go to high school.” Plotkin believes Old Saybrook has done an excellent job at informing students about what opportunities are available to them at our school.
Eighth grader Landon Roberts agreed. “There are many more clubs than I initially thought there were in the high school,” Roberts said. Roberts shared that he went into the day expecting a boring few hours, but was pleasantly surprised by the way the high school day flows and was interested by the amount of activities he did not realize he would have access to.
A change from last year’s step-up day involved adjusting the way students experienced the day. Instead of having students enter classrooms at random to see students in action, they were exposed to the different subjects at the school.
Several students felt that the day could have been longer. Cali Morelli, a high school senior, was chosen to be a tour guide. Morelli said, “…They weren’t able to see us in our classes which I think it important for them to see.” She believes that having a longer step-up day could give the students a more realistic view of what the average day is like. Mr. Plotkin agreed, mentioning how the lack of passing time built into the schedule made for the day led to the students and supervisors feeling rushed.
Mr. Plotkin said there is not an intention to discourage students from attending other high schools; instead, the goal is to make sure they are going to whichever school they choose for the right reasons. Plotkin said, “It does have an impact on where they choose to go to school and it seems like that impact is vastly in favor of our high school.”
