In an effort to relieve the stress of incoming students and their parents, WCHS subject departments and administrators hosted the annual eighth grade parent information meeting Jan. 8.

Only days into the second semester of the 2018-2019 school year, it is time for students to start signing up for their preferred courses for next year. Stress and confusion are evident in the attitudes of rising upperclassmen, as well as underclassmen and rising freshmen.

“The main goal of this event was for parents and students to become familiar with what courses kids should take for the following year,” 12th grade assistant principal Bradley Rohner said. “The event’s specific goal is to guide parents towards the right classes their child should take.”

At the front doors of the auditorium, parents were first greeted by WCHS staff including administrators and teachers. Parents were also met by WCHS ambassadors, a group of positive and supportive students that are representative of the WCHS student community. The ambassadors created in a welcoming environment.

Though the meeting was specifically directed towards parents of future WCHS students, some parents also brought their children in order for them to get the full picture as well.

“I came with my mom so that I could learn more about this school’s community and what classes there are for me next year,” incoming freshman Ryan Anderson said. “The presentation gave a broad summary and was very informative, making me quite excited.”

After listening to presentations made by the department heads and administrators, parents then moved on to different stations where they could get more details about each department. Each station was hosted by a different teacher and a rotation occurred every 30 minutes allowing parents to listen to the different perspectives and information given by each presenter.

“It was nice to have two sets of ears to take in all the information they were giving us because I know there is too much for me to remember,” Anderson’s mother, Judith Lavoie said. “What surprises me the most though is that I did not know that Churchill provided so many opportunities with languages. There are so much more provided beyond the standard three: Spanish, French, and Chinese.”

The night proved to be a success as parents and their children were able to learn about specific WCHS classes and meet the teachers of those classes.

“I am not worried or nervous about coming here next year because I know that I will have a lot of help and support from the people here,” Anderson said. “Hopefully after hearing this presentation, I will have a better understanding of the system here and what I need to accomplish.”