Welcoming New Students
Members of the Anti-Bullying Club host breakfast
New Student Breakfast
On October 5th, the Anti-Bullying Club hosted its annual New Student Orientation Breakfast to welcome all new students to the Abington High School community. Administrators Principal Sullivan and Assistant Principal Louko, the guidance department Mrs. Ferioli, Mrs. McGinness, and Mrs. Sweeney, the school psychologist Mrs. Posk, and the Anti-Bullying Club advisor Mr. Lanner were all on hand to provide information and to introduce themselves and their roles.
The new students, seated informally around a half dozen circular tables in the brand new cafeteria, were treated to multiple breakfast options such as muffins and cinnamon buns. The student members of the Anti-Bullying Club distributed themselves among several tables of new students to orchestrate friendly discussions and answer any questions the newcomers had. The warm, inclusive environment lent itself to discussions that ranged from talking about what sports the students are involved in, such as soccer and basketball, to comparing their old schools’ student body size, over 1,000 at some schools, to the student body size of Abington. Faith, a new freshman from Oregon said of the breakfast, “It was nice to be surrounded by so many friendly faces.” Most of the new students felt comfortable sharing their experiences, opinions, and insights. Anti-Bullying Club member Lorhena expressed that “it made [her] feel good knowing that [she] helped make the transition for these new students a smooth and positive one.”
Another new student, Maureen, who formerly attended Cardinal Spellman High School, said, “The breakfast was a very kind gesture and it made me feel more included in the school community.” The goal of the Anti-Bullying Club was to make each of the new students feel that they are welcome and valued members of our school community.
It was clear after spending time with this diverse group of students that, in the words of Stephen R. Covey, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” When you see any of these students in the halls be sure to give them a nice Greenwave welcome!
