New school, new students

Brand new, white sneakers squeak on the dewy grass, and the girl attached to them reminds herself that even though her feet might look ready to enter a wet t-shirt contest, she has greater things to worry about right now. Reaching the entrance of the place that will be the center of her life for the next few years, she wonders if others have felt the way she does at this moment.

Striding up to a building that looks similar to a prison, she’s actually grateful for the sign on the lawn that reminds everyone where they are. Before anxiety or fear can engulf her, she raises her head and walks through the doors.

According to vbgov.com, 25 percent of all students enrolled in U.S. schools move sometime during the school year. That’s around 11 million kids, most of which are uprooted from school districts they’ve been in their whole lives. Then, there are the military kids; the kids who could tell you how many states and countries they’ve lived in… just this year.

More than 87,000 active duty military reside in the Hampton Roads area. As a result, the public schools here, to the new students anyway, seem huge, so the odds of noticing the new kid are rare.

During the first couple of weeks, it’s hard enough to find a particular classroom let alone people who share your interests in a new school. Moving four times can really bruise a kid, especially if it’s during the same year, much like Junior Jessica Staples.

“Honestly, I was overwhelmed by the size and the amount of students, it was just insane,” Staples said. “I’ve been to four different high schools, but this one has been the hardest to meet people and make friends in.”

On the other hand, senior Maria Cannon is a military kid that has been lucky enough to only move once during high school. This has enabled her to stay optimistic and open herself up to a new environment.

“I’m still adjusting to everything here, but so far it’s been pretty good,” Cannon said. “The people here are super helpful so it’s making it a lot easier to adjust.”

Every time a kid moves, they are forced to make a decision. Stay positive and try to get involved in the new school in order to make friends or shut down and focus on not getting caught up in the drama that is high school. Unfortunately, the second choice usually leaves the person with no friends, because how do you know who creates drama and who doesn’t?

It is so much easier to shut down and just focus on getting out of this unknown environment alive and unscathed. Nonetheless, shutting down will only create problems and possibly even bypass what is looked at as the best years of one’s life.

One thing to think about next time life throws something new into the mix, whether it be a new school, or a new job, is to stay positive and don’t let potentially bad situations evolve into their potential. Look for the positives because great things can come from terrible situations, but only if you remember to look for them.