On March 9, Hays High will be hosting its annual eighth grade visit. The visit will start at 8 a.m. and will last until 12 p.m. There will also be a Parent Night for the eighth grade parents on March 9 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.in the Lecture Hall.

“Our eighth grade visit coincides with pre-enrollment and selection of courses to get an idea of what they would like to take and where they are in the building,” counselor Troy Dale said.

Leadership Team training for this event will take place on March 4 and 5 in the Library. During the visit, each group of eighth graders will be assigned to a Leadership Team member. The groups will have three rotation which consist of a pre-enrollment session with counselors, a tour of the school and a clubs and activities session in the gym. The event will conclude with lunch.

One change that is happening to this year’s eighth grade visit is adding the session that will have activities in the gym. The set up will be similar to PRIDE Night or a college fair where there will be several different booths or tables that feature different activities, clubs, organizations and extracurriculars.

“The orientation is beneficial because students receive their schedules and actually get a better feel for Hays High School,” Dale said. “Statistically, students who have a successful transition from middle school to high school are more likely to achieve academically with less course failures, have good attendance and [have] a lower dropout rate.  Both of these programs help us with this transition, and both are vitally important.”

20maustin@usd489.com