For new students in the district, assimilating into a new school’s culture and curriculum can be challenging because many students have known eachother since elementary school.
This year, 74 new students moved to the high school. These students experience the transition into moving into a new school shocking due to the fact that the students are moving late in their high school careers. High school traditions are different per school and students have created their own constant system of friends and activities.
Junior Barsha Pant moved to the district this past fall from Sheboygan, Wisconsin because of her dad’s work. Pant initially had a hard time moving from a place where she was comfortable with her friends and family to a new environment for her final years of high school. “It was definitely hard to come to a new school as a junior because everyone already has their groups of friends that they sit at lunch with and hang out with after school,” she said.
Although she faced that initial hardship in finding a group of friends, Pant feels accepted at Pleasant Valley. “I feel included at PV because it has a great atmosphere and clubs that you can be involved in and get to know people,” Pant said. She encourages other new students to get involved when moving to a new school because it gave her a sense of family and acceptance.
Junior Kelsey Eller is also new to the district this year. Eller moved from Parker, Colorado this fall for her dad’s job, and enjoys the Quad Cities area. “I feel like my adjustment to PV has been really good so far because most of the people here are very welcoming and the teachers are nice and approachable for help,” she said. Eller’s favorite part of PV so far is spending time with the new friends she has made.
Similar to Pant, Eller recommends new students to get involved in their new school. “For students moving to a new school, I recommend going out of your comfort zone to meet new people,” Eller added.
