This book is dedicated to all the students, teachers and administrators that helped us during our first year at WAHS.

Meet Theo and Natasha, they are incoming freshmen at Western Albemarle High School(WAHS) and are very excited for their orientation. Today, they are going to learn all about WAHS with the help of their guidance counselor Ms. Antony. Their tour begins in the auditorium, home to Western's incredible Performing Arts programs.

Participating In Fine Arts and Drama

And now....

Theo has always loved participating in jazz band, he participated in it at Henley and he is thrilled to learn that he can continue with band at Western. Natasha loves to act and sing and is excited when she find's out there are five different shows! They also learn that they can participate in the Visual Arts like Photography, Art and Ceramics. They can also enroll in the fine arts pathways which give them opportunities to be credited for their participation in the arts at graduation. To find out more about pathways go to the WAHS website or talk to your guidance counselor.

Let's get a little bit rowdy!

Theo has played tennis since he was at Brownsville and is so excited to try out for the tennis team at WAHS! Western has around 20 different sports to participate it, from soccer to swim and dive you're sure to find something you love! Natasha is thrilled to learn that Scholastic Bowl is also considered a sport, that she can letter in!

We The People...

WAHS has a variety of clubs, you are almost guaranteed to find a club that fits your interest, however if you can't find one, then you can always make one! Theo loves attending We the People every week. There is also, the MultiCultural club, Key Club, and Robotics Club. Natasha is part of the Key Club, because she loves volunteering in her community. Key Club also looks great on her college applications! Theo and Natasha are happy with all the variety of clubs at Western, and hope that when they are seniors they can have a higher position in their clubs

Sporting Events @ WAHS

Going to sport events at Western is super fun! Especially when you go with a big group of friends. Theo and his friends love going to all the games for every sport, and cheering on the Warriors. Furthermore, Western has dress themes for the football games! From wearing all black to a game to wearing blue and gold, (Western's colors), WAHS sporting events are an event you DO NOT want to miss out on! Also, you can purchase delicious treats/food such as Kona Ice (football games only,) soft pretzels, popcorn, and burgers. Come have loads of fun and support the Warriors!

Spirit Week

Theo and Natasha are very confused about spirit week. They ask one of their upper classmen friends what its all about. She says that during spirit week there are dress up themes each day. You should always dress up for these days not only does it get points for your grade it also is super fun. Each year a theme for the grades is chosen, like decades or movies. Each class gets a subcategory of this theme like '70s or Pixar. Classes do vote on what subcategory they want but freshman class is given the last pick. The classes get points throughout the week with activities and class participation and at the end of the week the points are counted and a winner declared.

Homework

Advice

Theo and Natasha were worried about the amount of homework they are going to be assigned, but Ms. Antony has some great tips. Such as, complete the assignments that are due soonest first. This way you won't be stressing about getting your History homework done 25 minutes before it's due. Also, sleep is one of the most important parts of high school. This is probably said a lot and kids may get tired of hearing it, but it is completely true. Getting that extra hour of sleep is much more important than studying for your English exam or completing your homework late at night. If you are taking honors classes, use any free time you can to get things done. If you are worried about homework l feel free to talk to your teachers they are always happy to help.

Time Management

Time management is essential in surviving freshman year. Almost every WAHS student participates in at least one extra curricular, between clubs, sports, and fine arts. Western Academics can also be rigorous therefore it's very important to have good time management skills. Ms. Antony tells Theo and Natasha how it's a good idea to keep a planner, and spend free time in class or study halls productively. Don't do homework late at night, and make sure you save time for yourself, mental health is important too.