St. Joe Freshman Excited, Nervous to Start High School

Kate Schwarz may be starting at a new school on Aug. 17, but  is hardly foreign territory.

Her mother, Mary Beth Schwarz, graduated from St. Joe in 1982.

"I'm thrilled," her mother said. "I hope she meets great friends like I have now."

"I had always wanted to go there," Schwarz said. "I'm looking forward to meeting new people. There will be so many more people there than at Ascension."

Schwarz spent her kindergarten through eighth grade years at Ascension Catholic School in Chesterfield, and while she's looking forward to St. Joe, she still does have a few worries about the transition.

"It will be an adjustment from being at a smaller school to a much bigger school," she said.

However, seven of her classmates from Ascension will be making the transition with her, and she will be in a carpool with a St. Joe student who lives in her neighborhood.

"It's nice to have people that you know," she said.

Aside from that, her biggest concern is "managing homework time."

Schwarz has a heavy course load: honors world history, geometry, honors chemistry and physics, Spanish, English, introduction to visual art, theology and dance make up her fall schedule.

St. Joe has done a lot to make the transition for Schwarz and the rest of the incoming freshmen as smooth as possible.

In October, Schwarz was given the opportunity to shadow a St. Joe student and follow her throughout the school day, and there will be a full day of orientation on Aug. 15 for the entire class.

"They get to explore the building," said Karen Davis, assistant principal at St. Joe, said of the orientation day. "We also have a campus ministry day (on Aug. 9) where all of the students meet each other, along with some of the teachers."

Davis also added that they have special "Learn the St. Joe Way" sessions for students throughout the school year which include information on how to improve study skills and social skills.

On top of her classes, Schwarz plans on being involved with the dance club and trying out for the swimming and soccer teams. She was on the Chesterfield Farms swim team, played soccer for Ascension and currently dances at the .

When it comes to the balance between nervousness and excitement about starting high school, Schwarz seems to be pretty even-minded.

"I'm kind of nervous, but I think that's pretty normal," she said. "I think it will be fun, though. I'm really excited."

St. Joe will continue to stay in the family next year, as Schwarz's younger sister, Maggie, follows her from Ascension to St. Joe.

Next up, Shane Combs at MICDS.