On August 12, Bulldogs stepped onto the Judge Memorial campus on a sunny August morning to begin the school year. It’s a brand new school for some and a brand new year for the rest. Some Bulldogs felt nervous, and some excited.
“I was a little nervous in the beginning but once I got settled in and saw my friends I relaxed a bit,” freshman Katy Beaudry said,
Grayson Campbell, a sophomore, also felt this comfort in seeing friends, “The first days of school feel comforting knowing that I get to see my friends and be able to talk to them in person.”
Senior Christian Padilla said that he was most excited about the class Boondocks field trip after graduation and “Senior Sunrise which is coming up this Monday.”
The new policies and changes were a bit hard to adjust to in the beginning of the year. “The new policies and increased workload feel a little overwhelming,” Campbell said.
Sophomore Sofia Draper stated that she “isn’t entirely convinced” with some aspects of new policies and wanted to work on them in her role as a student council member.
Bulldogs also shared their thoughts about academic and extracurricular activities at Judge, and the ‘balancing act’ between them. Draper said, “I’m not looking forward to the hard homework load. I definitely took on a bunch of challenges with sports and all; it’s going to be hard!” Through every year, the work we do will get much harder, which is especially true at Judge.
Sophomore Stone Emery said he would be “shooting for high honor roll.”
So many students enjoy playing on the many sports teams at Judge. Beaudry shared enjoyment for her volleyball team, “The volleyball team has been very supportive and I love the sense of community within the team.” Junior Bailey Britter also shared this feeling of positivity about her sport, “Cross country is such a good sport and feels like a sanctuary.” Freshman Callie Lipson said she was looking forward to playing soccer with her friends.
Teachers and staff were also excited for the new year. Registrar Ms. Jaime Scholl said “We have three new, and very experienced, counselors that I’m excited to work with,” and she was also looking forward to “watching the benefits of ‘no cellphones’ in school and observing the students interacting together.”
Ms. Jacque Smith, who teaches math, said that “the energy the students bring to Judge makes this school so special,” and she was “looking forward to teaching a new class and a new challenge.”
Bulldogs are feeling pretty positive for what lies ahead. Some classes that Bulldogs said they were excited for include forensics (Chloe DeFord), New Media (Britter), and Spanish II (Stone). Draper said she hopes to meet new people and step outside her comfort zone.
Campbell said that he was “super excited for sports to begin,” and was looking forward to playing in tennis and ultimate frisbee.
Junior Jana Betty came to Judge Memorial from California before her freshman year, and she was happy to find people that were caring and open. As an ambassador, she said that she wanted to continue that welcoming feeling by “representing the idea that students can be a part of the Judge community in little time, despite their previous school or background.”
Overall, it seems most people can agree that the new school year is looking bright and hopeful. “Give it everything I’ve got and show everybody what I’m capable of,” cheered Britter.
