Nearly seven hundred freshmen, from a variety of middle schools, entered LRHS this school year, with the largest percentage (58%) coming from Leesville Middle School.
The class of 2019 is the largest freshman class ever at Leesville.
There are three types of freshmen: students who enter high school with most of their their middle school friends and peers, some who have a few friends and recognize some classmates, and finally, some freshmen who aren’t familiar with anyone.
Zach Zoltowski is a freshman who attended Martin Magnet Middle School. Martin sent 22 students to Leesville. “Leesville is very comfortable, I know a lot of people,” he explained. “I would probably know more people if I had gone to Leesville Middle, but I still have a lot of friends here. Some through elementary school, my neighborhood, and my middle school.”
However, it is natural to know more people if you go through middle school with them.
Madison Lattimore, freshman, is one of the 375 freshmen who attended to Leesville Middle and has an older sister who is a senior. “I’m comfortable with the campus,” she said. “Having an older sister here makes it better; it made the transition easier.”. In addition to her freshmen friends, she knows upperclassmen because of her sister. In some cases, having a sibling in the same school provides a sense of comfort.
Finally, Stewart Lanier, a freshman from Magellan Charter, which sent just 16 students, thinks that if he had attended Leesville Middle, he would have more friends. “ I’ve made friends in all of my periods,” said Stewart, “[However] I might have more [friends] if I went to the [Leesville] middle school, but you get what you get.”
Fortunately for all of the freshmen, they find Leesville fairly comfortable. They have four years to adjust, and eventually thrive at Leesville.
