Peninsula hosts events in anticipation of eighth graders

For eighth graders, this is the most important time of year- the time when one chooses a high school for next four years. Peninsula has hosted events to help make that process easier and the choice clearer.

On Eighth Grade Night, bright stadium lights shined down and brought food trucks, students, parents, teachers, and most importantly, potential incoming freshman. The middle schoolers were exposed to classroom activities; interacted with students, ASB, and peer mentors; and were a part of Peninsula’s famous flash mob.

ASB, Peer Mentors, and student activities director Season Pollock put on Shadow Days to help eighth graders better understand Peninsula’s campus life.

“I believe Shadow Days have the potential to affect a student’s choice,” Pollock said. “I’ve been told by students who attended Shadow Days that it had helped them make their decision to come to Peninsula High.”

However, the campus then hosted the most recent event, the arts gala. This production became a showcase of events, art work, and culinary works, performances from Girls Choreo, Co-ed Choreo, jazz band, symphonic orchestra, choir, drama, ceramics, drawing and painting, photography and animation.

“The goal of the gala is to showcase the arts department and to recruit incoming eighth graders,” said dance teacher Kimi Hendrick.

With a new year and a new gala, the new gala administrators brought change to the event to better accommodate the audience and to increase interest in the event. Because of the previous dance coach’s leave, Heather Myrick, Hendrick was asked to take over.

“I’ve tried very hard to stick to Ms. Myrick’s system,” Hendrick said.

Also, the dancers and music groups blended their individual pieces into one collaborated number, something that hasn’t been done in previous years. Girls Choreo performed dance numbers played by the symphonic orchestra and sung by the Women’s a cappella group.

In hopes to recruit incoming eighth graders and show off Peninsula’s arts programs, this exhibition has exposed incoming freshman to on campus dance programs, and fine arts classes.

“The arts gala really helped me understand Peninsula’s dance programs,” eighth grader Hannah Lee said. “It was a great way for me to understand what I would be doing next year.”