One day before the official first day of school, students and faculty came together at an all-school assembly dubbed “Back-to-School Bash.” This gathering occurs at the beginning of every semester, providing a relaxed opening to the rigorous academic year.
To keep students engaged, organizers arranged fun games and activities such as Jeopardy and trivia about GWUOHS. At the same time, students received an extrinsic opportunity to become accustomed to the online classroom through interactive polls, annotations, and similar engaging yet educational activities.
Another specialty of this event is getting to meet all the staff members, especially because of how excited the teachers are to meet the students.
“The thing I like most about the all-school welcome assembly is being surrounded by so many students,” academic advisor Laura Nielsen shared. “This assembly marks the kickoff to a whole new school year of learning something new every single day.”
To Nielsen, being an educator is beyond knowing her students academically.
“Just imagine how many students I have had the privilege to learn from, laugh with, and celebrate alongside,” she said, reflecting upon her past twenty-nine years of teaching.
Freshman Neve D., a new student at GWUOHS, appreciated this approachable disposition of the teachers.
“I felt very comfortable with all of the teachers,” she noted. “They were very welcoming and supportive, and I felt that they helped calm my nerves for the upcoming year.
The assembly concluded with announcements regarding the schedule for orientation week.
