Rising freshmen arrived at Rock Ridge on Aug. 22 and were greeted with an itinerary of activities aimed to get them familiar with the school before officially starting on Aug. 25. As this day was the first of its kind, Phoenix students, staff, and parents who attended the event aimed to make it as memorable and informative as possible for new students and their parents. 

When newcomers first walked through the doors, they were greeted by WINGS mentors, stationed to give them a schedule for the day to come and provide raffle tickets for a chance to win some Phoenix merchandise. This schedule began with a student and parent panel, where staff and current students enthusiastically welcomed them before dismissing the freshman to start their activity cycle, while the parents remained for a panel. 

Running around the school, WINGS mentors led their groups through four different activities aimed to get students familiarized with the school and its activities: an SCA-led student panel, a sports presentation led by student-athletes, a club/activity presentation, and a scavenger hunt to help incoming students find their way around. “I thought [the activities] were really informative,” senior Ayesha Ansari said. “I’m glad they started doing [Scoop Day] now, especially since these kids had so many of their school [years] online. It was pretty good to have that, just to give them something to look forward to.”

To end the day on a high note, all students were sent to the cafeteria to have their first-ever pep rally. A fun-packed event, there were games, activities, and some lessons in pep rally cheers, making it the best part of the day for many. “Everyone seemed super energetic and into it,” freshman Sadhika Boggavarapu said. “It was really loud and fun.”

Gallery • 7 Photos

Manika Porchezhian

At the pep rally, Phoenix mascot Rocky attempts to engage students and excite them for the upcoming games as well as their first year in high school.