Colton, CA—Middle schoolers from Colton Middle and Joe Baca Middle were gifted the experience of a day in the life of a freshman Yellowjacket on Monday and Tuesday this week at Colton High’s annual Freshman orientation event.

ASB and Link Crew joined forces to take next year’s Freshmen on a tour of the school, and had them participate in a variety of activities, including a club rush, a pep rally, and a chance to interact in the classroom.

Freshman orientation is one of the most important events a middle school student can attend. It helps them take their first steps into their new home for the next four years, and hopefully find a place on campus that suits them and their interests. 

This orientation is Colton High’s way of making the transition between middle school and high school easier

The day started with campus tours led by Link Crew leaders, each in groups. Students were able to walk the campus and gain some spatial awareness of where everything is located. 

This included visiting a few classes to get some background information on academics and electives, to show the variety of classes offered at CHS. 

The Link Crew leaders then concluded their tours at the MPR, where which the middle schoolers would now be thrown into the deep end; Club Rush. 

Each active club and sport had representatives interacting with middle schoolers to get them to join as many things as possible. From clubs ranging from Model United Nations and Drama Club to sports like Tennis and Wrestling, the middle schoolers were bombarded with opportunities. 

“I’m looking forward to sports such as softball but I’m also interested in getting into Renaissance,” said Ava, an 8th grader from Colton Middle.

The reps from each club were very enthusiastic about introducing their interests to the middle schoolers as well. 

“I remember being excited because my closest friends were [incoming] Freshmen and I was able to spend school with them again, I got to know everyone in Link Crew/ASB leaders but the overall experience was worth it,” said ASB Senior Savana Garcia. 

To end the day, the middle schoolers were then invited to the Hubbs gym to experience a mini pep rally put on by both ASB and Link Crew. 

Short performances by Cheer, Dance Club, and the Marching Band were well received by the crowd and had the middle schoolers truly excited for what was to come in their futures at Colton High School.