The first week of the 2022-2023 Edina High School year began on Monday, Aug. 29, which both introduced freshmen to the new environment and re-established the upperclassmen’s school routines. On the first day, students attended shortened class periods that reviewed course syllabi and helped familiarize them with peers. 

Freshmen started school earlier than the upperclassmen, sitting through 10 minute classes that taught them about the high school’s schedule. After lunch, the ninth graders would repeat the schedules alongside the rest of the student body. 

“[The repeated schedule for freshmen is] really just about their comfort. It helps ninth graders have a little bit more grace in the building [without upperclassmen] crowding the halls and increased level of noise at school,” Principle Andrew Beaton said. 

Even without the upperclassmen, students occasionally had trouble finding their classes, but the confusion was cleared with the guidance of staff. Hornet Mentors were present throughout the day to help assist the freshman with their schedules. Led by juniors and seniors, the program helps ninth graders adjust to the new school. 

 “I got lost twice. Science was the hardest class to find for me ‘cause it was tucked in [the hallway]. Otherwise, I think I got the ropes of just navigating through the school and figuring out where to go,” freshman Madeline Hall said.

Once the sophomores, juniors, and seniors joined the freshmen to attend 20 minute classes in the afternoon, the ninth grader’s faced new challenges when repeating their schedules. 

 “You can navigate the building pretty well [when there’s not many people], but once the seniors and juniors and sophomores came, I was lost. I had no idea where I was supposed to go,” Hall said. 

Though the arriving upperclassmen challenged many freshmen, assistant principal Jennifer Carter believes the first day of school ran smoothly, even with the nervousness present among many students. “It was one of my favorite first days of school that we’ve had in a long time; I think people were genuinely really excited to be at school,” Carter said. 

As the week continued, students began falling into the school routine as they started units and obtained homework from their classes. 

For freshmen, the daily schedule looked different from their previous schools. Tuesday and Friday were seven-period days where students attended all seven of their scheduled classes. On Wednesday, students only attended odd period classes for an hour and a half before sitting through their even period classes on Thursday. Thursday also included an extended advisory that led students through the codes and conducts of EHS. 

 The varied lunch schedule became a new undertaking for the freshman, and staff continued to inform them on their assigned lunches and help students find their classes, “Even on the second day, I was helping kids read their schedules, but I think, as the school year goes on, we’ll get used to those rhythms,” Carter said.