Transitioning to Samo with the help from AVID

On Friday, April 24, eighth-grade students from John Adams Middle School had the opportunity to shadow Samo’s students in the AVID program. An event that originally started three years ago has now become a staple of responsibilities for the AVID program. As it provides a well-rounded relationship outside the AVID family, along with knowing a friendly face around campus to help ease the transition that high school students can undergo. Starting the day from second period up until the end of fifth, JAMS students followed their assigned students around campus. Having the opportunity to explore a new environment, class to class, the middle schoolers had plenty of time to get acquainted with their surroundings and students while asking questions about daily life at Samo. In light of this event, the middle schoolers got to experience the reality of AVID in high school, causing a new sense of comfort to get well-adjusted. To comprehend the layout of high school life clearly while getting comfortable with introducing themselves to people around campus, the middle schoolers did just that and more. From the crowd, Zetanya Desta, an incoming freshman at JAMS (’30), shared her experience with the shadow day.

“I’m looking forward to all the events and meeting new people in the avid program while learning about different things.” Desta said, “Today has helped me to learn more about the program, while teaching me to be social and respectful.” Getting started was only the first step, as three years ago, this idea was introduced and made happen with the cooperation of AVID teachers Kyle Koehler and Maggie Colburn alongside JAMS AVID coordinator Titia Murphy and district director Erin Hill. The event was first trialled in middle school a couple of years ago, and ever since, it has been in the works to embark on a smooth transition to high school, specifically in the AVID program.

Although it may seem nerve-wracking as an incoming freshman, juniors in the AVID program were also intimidated. Among the students who were being shadowed, Erini Kreakous (’26) had her fair share of touring. Just starting in the AVID program her freshman year, she has found herself gaining more beneficial skills every day as she becomes more prepared to conquer life outside of Samo. As another year approached, Erini was assigned the responsibility to ensure her student was well prepared for the next academic year.

“I tried to connect her with other students in my class and also introduce her to other people.” Kreakous said. “It’s very important to have group discussions to make everyone feel included and more comfortable.”

Aside from the school work encountered, the scavenger hunt was one of the main activities presented. The scavenger hunt was a series of tasks that needed to be completed to win a prize, including candy or gift cards. The tasks ranged from silly duties, such as singing the hymn of praise in the Greek theatre, to dabbing with ninth-grade AVID teacher Ms. Kariya. Completing each task required a photo or video taken as verification, which granted the students a closer step to the prize. This idea of the scavenger hunt was constructed to help students familiarize themselves with the campus, as it was expressed by Kyle Koehler.

“[Koheler, Hill, Murphy] Even Ms. Kariya can see a change within current ninth graders from years past because they’re more comfortable on campus as they have participated in previous shadow days,” said Koehler.

Through the competitive nature to win a prize, Hiyab Getachew (’26) and her student buddy came in first place, winning the prize of a gift card. Running around different buildings around campus, Getachew was quick on her feet to strategize a plan to win.

“I strategized everything by area accordingly. Tasks that were in innovation were all done together and that helped me finish quicker” Getachew said. “Finishing everything with my buddy and saying bye was memorable since we spent almost the whole day together while gaining friendship over team bonding activities.”

While returning back with another, it was time to part ways and wish each other the best. Erini shared her experience after a long day with her student, “Even though me and my buddies didn’t do very well in the scavenger hunt, I had so much fun for those girls.” Kreakous said. “When we ran around campus, that’s when we started to build connections that people dream of, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.”

After a hard day of socializing around campus, Desta shared her final thoughts about this year’s shadow day.

“I feel like this is a great experience for people who are coming to Samo in general, not just for AVID, since you get a feel of the school. Some people might be scared to come to Samohi because of its size, but I feel like you should come and try. This opportunity should be open for everyone since it really helps with getting to know more about the school and classes.”