Photo Taken By Sam Fraley
South Salem High School hosted the Future Freshman Night on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 for eighth graders to see what they can expect going into high school. The future freshmen roamed the halls that they will spend the next four years in. They were given the opportunity to talk to South students at pop-up displays hosted for various different programs available at the school. They were also given the chance to sign up in advance for information about those programs.
STUDENTS WATCH A PRESENTATION ON THEIR EXCITING FUTURE.
The eighth grade students, coming from various feeder schools, were buzzing with excitement. Different schools mean different environments for middle school students. These changes bring on new feelings, one of them being excitement for the change, and the new possibilities that high school has to offer.
“Just a lot of the clubs, and some of the programs,” Grayson said.
South offers a lot of clubs, programs and classes that can help students advance their knowledge and skillset in many varied topics. This allows many opportunities for students during their high school years.
“The number of things. I thought it was going to be a lot less. I did not realize it was going to be this much,” said Grayson.
While the scale of high school can be overwhelming, finding the opportunities that one fits into will help them glide smoothly into the transitional period for high school education. But with these changes brings worries to the incoming freshman as well.
“Homework, mainly,” Grayson said.
Homework is a big element of high school, yet, homework is a chance to learn time management skills that will be of benefit. Two other eighth grade students, Jackson and Derek, are both excited about their future high school as well. There are many factors in high school that are contributed to by the volume of students that are not possible for middle schools, such as different clubs.
“The sheer amount of clubs. During the presentations, I was like, ‘How many are there?’” Derek said.
This connects back to the idea that there is something for everybody. There is a club, program or extracurricular class for every interest and niche.
“I am scared about how hard it is gonna be, but I think I am looking forward to the better classes, stuff like that, more advanced classes,” Jackson said.
Advanced classes are a way to challenge students’ academic abilities. Challenges can bring a benefit to students who seek it and prepare them for post-highschool plans.
“I am excited to annoy my brother and I am scared about the sheer size of the school. I come from 99 students,” Derek said.
These future South students show a lot of excitement about the future and what South holds for them. High school is full of opportunities for fun, learning and character building and these students seem to be eager to jump head-first into their future.
These youth are the future of South, and as they filter through the ever-revolving door that makes up the South community, they are sure to find something of benefit for themselves and their futures.
