The 9th Grade Experience

High school is a time for new beginnings, making changes, and preparing yourself to move towards adulthood, especially if your middle school years did not go exactly as planned. For two best friends, Chris Alfau and Donavan McCargo, coming to Emmaus High School meant making an agreement that they would push each other academically and socially in order to make the most of their high school years and leave behind some of their previous behaviors and mindsets. 

Since meeting on Donavan’s first day of seventh grade, the two middle school transfer students, have become accountability partners for each other and maintained a friendship that they hope will carry them through the next four years. 

In this episode, Chris and Donavan talk about the importance of time management and getting stuff done, adjusting to academic challenges, and why it is so critical to pick good friends. So find a buddy and make a plan to listen to this conversation with Chris and Donavan.

On the first Monday of every month, the faculty and staff at Emmaus High School trade their normal clothing for the opportunity to wear gear in a visual and symbolic support of No Place for Hate, an organization that allows students to facilitate diversity awareness and devise anti-bullying projects that affect the entire student body.

As part of their on-going mission to bring unique speakers and topics to student’s attention, the club welcomed Dr. Mykee Fowlin to EHS on Wednesday, September 25, to perform his one-man show “I Am Not the Enemy.” Dr. Mykee mixes psychology, performance, and poetry to, in his own words, “create an atmosphere of worldwide inclusion, not just tolerance, towards all people.” This year’s performance was a follow-up to “You Don’t Know Me Until You Know Me,” which was held during the 2018-2019 school year.

In this episode, Dr. Mykee is joined by No Place for Hate co-advisors Steph Larkin and Brian Harkness, as well as several members of the club, for a follow-up conversation that occurred immediately after his production. The panel talks about some of the best ways to find your voice in order to tell your story, what to do in the face of adversity, and some suggestions on what a student should do if they identify with one of the characters in Dr. Mykee’s show. So let’s take some time to celebrate our differences and accept our shared experiences in this wide-ranging chat with Dr. Mykee and No Place for Hate.

Learn more about Dr. Mykee: http://mykeefowlin.com/  and all social media platforms

Learn about No Place for Hate:  Meetings on Thursdays (listen to the announcement for more details) https://twitter.com/NPFHEmmausHS

In the ever-evolving world of education, the traditional role of the guidance counselor has seen a dramatic shift. Gone are the days when the only time you would see your counselor would be when making decisions about your post-high school path, whether it would be college or career. Now, counselors play an important role in not only helping to shape a student’s academic outlook, but assist them in dealing with issues related to their social and emotional well-being. 

In this episode, 9th grade counselors Mike McInerney and Colleen Demchak share the challenges that students are facing both inside and outside the classroom, the impact of social media on their jobs and interactions with students, and when to come down and seek the advice of a counselor. They also discuss why it is important to get involved in a club, activity, or sport; important events put on by the guidance department each year; and the best strategy on how to find the counseling suite. 

So it’s time to take a deep breath, pull up a chair, and listen for some advice from Mr. McInerney and Mrs. Demchak.

Find more information: https://www.eastpennsd.org/ehs/counseling/ or https://twitter.com/CounselorsEHS

As a freshman, one of the biggest challenges at Emmaus High School is finding the best way to get around. Now that you have seen your schedule on PowerSchool, you may be wondering how you will make it from room 227 to 580 and then back to the auditorium for a study hall? Hopefully, you had a chance to come into the building on one of the days available to take a walk through with a map and a Hornet Ambassador to learn the best way to avoid the crowds and not be late to class. If you didn't, no worries, because on this episode, we caught up with nine students at different points of their day of exploration at EHS before school kicks off on Monday, August 26. They spoke about what they discovered during their time in the building, some things they might be nervous about on the first day of school, and some ways they are already fitting into the EHS community.

Entering her third year as principal at Emmaus High School, Dr. Kate Kieres brings a unique perspective to leadership and an understanding of what makes a 9th grade student successful. She began her career as a high school English teacher before moving into administration as an  Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs at EHS from 2006-2011. She then went to Palisades School District to serve as a Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, and later an Assistant Superintendent before coming back to this district. But not only does Dr. Kieres possess a bounty of educational knowledge through research and administration, she recently completed a first-hand version of living through her own 9th grade experience as a parent of a now-rising 10th grader. In this conversation, Dr. Kieres combines personal stories with practical advice to give both parents and students a real sense of what to expect as they walk through the doors to become the Emmaus High School Class of 2023. #ehs9counts

As a freshman at Emmaus High School, you are at the beginning of a four-year odyssey that will see you progress in many different ways. As you explore the clubs, activities, athletics, and all of the awesome things EHS has to offer, a critical question exists: What does it take to be successful in the classroom? In this episode, you will hear from several teachers who have worked with 9th graders for many years that want to help you make that transition to EHS as smooth as possible. This two-part episode features a round-table discussion with Kristin Susens, Jake Hildebrand, Heather Spotts, Stacey Yapsuga, and Amy Kaunitz giving their tips and tricks to get an edge in the classroom, followed by a 1-on-1 interview with Tim O’Connor, who stresses the balance needed to be successful in the classroom and beyond. So sharpen those pencils or charge up those Chromebooks, because it is time to take notes as class is back in session as the teachers of EHS welcome you! 

If you really want to know the inner workings of a school, there are two groups of people to chat with: the custodians and the office staff. 

As she finishes up her second year as the administrative assistant to 9th Grade Assistant Principal Mr. Miller, Lisa Lucchesi-Wood is that go-to person if you want to get the scoop on the freshman class. 

She has served in several roles during her time at EHS, including staff assistant, in-school suspension staff, and administrative assistant to former EHS assistant principal Mr. Breiner. These experiences, along with being a mother to three EHS graduates and one current EHS student, give Lucchesi-Wood an array of tips and tricks to pass along to current and future first-year students. 

In this episode, we ask Mrs. Lucchesi-Wood about what she sees from her office that leads to student success, some of the important day-to-day things she handles from her office and why it seems like you can find half of the freshman class in her office before school starts. 

So come for the information and stay for snacks as you learn about the 9th grade from Lisa Lucchesi-Wood.

Everyone knows how difficult the transition to high school can be … but what if you were doing it two times a day in two different locations? 

For our 9th grade students who are attending Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, they have lived that reality this year by needing to adjust to multiple buses rides, two sets of building expectations, various schedules, and 3:15 returns back to Emmaus High School. 

They have done all this while balancing their core academic classes and the potential to learn about careers that could shape their future. In this episode, you will hear the stories of Ainsley Waldrab, Brenden Aldinger, and Chris Rohrbach, who have taken on these challenges, been successful both at LCTI and EHS and have even gained student of the month recognition in their labs. 

These students will tell the stories of why they chose to attend LCTI, the importance of finding the lab that interests you and breaking out of your comfort zone in order to learn more about yourself and the careers around you. 

It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get ready for some hands-on work as we hear from Ainsley, Brenden, and Chris!

Every Wednesday of the school year presents a unique scheduling opportunity for all students at Emmaus High School - Flex Block. This 37-minute period allows students the chance to complete work, check in with teachers for extra help and make-up assignments, or acquire information about school-wide events through announcements or assemblies. On this episode of the 9th Grade Experience, we chat with four 9th grade students -- Joshua Castro, Katie Christman-Conrad, Liza Centeno, and Emily Buss -- during a Flex Block to get some tips about using that time wisely, clearing up misconceptions about what they thought high school would be like, and those important tips to make your 9th grade year the best that it could be. 

Whether it is under the Friday night lights, beneath waves at the swimming pool, or the beautiful sunshine out on the tennis court, the games you witness involving our varsity athletes here at Emmaus High School only tell part of the student-athlete story. What you don’t see are the hours practicing and perfecting their sports, the homework thats gets started at 9 PM after the long bus ride from the Poconos, or the sacrifices of not hanging out with friends or going to that late night movie. On this episode of the 9th Grade Experience, we are going to explore the world of becoming a varsity athlete in your first year on campus. Told through the stories of Nick Velde, wrestling, and Sarah Hoch, basketball, these two students give insight about the dedication and perseverance needed in order to excel in the area of athletics. They also talk about the importance of time management to get things done both on and off the court. Before you hand in that physical and get ready for the first day of tryouts, listen to Nick and Sarah give you the tips that could you from the bench to the starting lineup