Freshmen welcomed by other students at registration



Student Council President Hannah Banderman led a tour of parents and incoming freshmen during California High School registration.
Student Council President Hannah Banderman led a tour of parents and incoming freshmen during California High School registration.

The band has more members, the music is harder and the school building is much larger than Clarksburg School, where Willow Hutton attended middle school.

With the other California High School freshmen, Hutton and her parents William and Michelle, toured the school, picked up her class schedule and signed up for other programs for the school year.

Many of Hutton's classmates from Clarksburg chose to attend California High School, so she knows a few people already, plus the members of band, with whom she's already been practicing, she said.

Waiting in line to hand-in the registration paperwork, many students and parents were catching up with friends. And new Principal Sean Kirksey also took the opportunity to shake hands and learn names.

New to freshmen registration this year were the student-led tours.

"This is an experiment; we'll see how it works," said Counselor Kim Wilkins.

The tour idea hopefully made the freshmen feel more comfortable with their new surroundings, said senior Hannah Banderman.

"We've all been in that place - you're scared, anxious and don't know what to expect," she said.

About 40 National Honor Society members took shifts handing out T-shirts, visiting with incoming freshmen and leading them around the hallways.

"We want them to feel like they belong as part of the school," Banderman said.