AUG 2005

BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP - The student questionnaires were done, and the 65 incoming freshmen at Buena Regional High School clutched their class schedules and headed into the hallways for a simulated school day, complete with bells and announcements.

"Do you know where the freshman hallway is?" a girl asked an equally clueless reporter, who directed her to an upperclassman in a blue STARS T-shirt.

A quick glance at the questionnaires shows the tour was a great idea.

Question 1: What would be a concern of yours about entering high school?

Sample Answers:

Getting lost.

Finding my classes.

Getting beat up.

The food.

Tough teachers.

Failing.

"We didn't have this when I started," senior Doug McCardell said of freshman orientation, which took place this week at the high school.

"When we came, they gave us our books and said, 'Good luck,'" senior Jason Berni added.

The two are among a dozen upperclassmen mentoring the STARS program. Now in its second year, the Student Transitions Achieves Reassurance and Success program, coordinated by the school Teen Center and Darwyn Minor of Minor Adjustments, works to ease the three Rs of high school - rules, regulations and rites of passage.

Freshman orientation is a growing trend at high schools as staff and students face increasing pressure from national issues, such as No Child Left Behind, mandatory graduation tests and bullying, or the intensely personal problems of drugs, eating disorders, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

The Buena Regional program was funded by a $10,000 grant from the Department of Human Services to help students make the transition from middle to high school. Buena is also one of 50 high schools in the state to have a funded Teen Center. Buena's is operated by AtlantiCare Behavioral Health, which also runs one in Atlantic City.

"The way I see it, all students are at risk sometime," center director Mike Falzone said. "We try to help them do better academically, emotionally and physically."

The day began with a "meet the administrators" session and a rundown of services and rules every freshman should know: ID badges must be worn at all times; arrive after 7:43 a.m. and you are officially late; miss more than 12 days of school and you can lose credit for the year; fail two classes and lose sports eligibility.

It's a lot to process, but the STARS mentors will wear their shirts the first few days of school to be easily identifiable for problems or questions. The Teen Center will also be open, offering someone to listen or a place to hang out.

"It's a place to go with your problems," McCardell said.

And problems are plentiful.

Under "Rumors, Rumors and More Rumors: What Have You Heard?" the freshmen got to anonymously write about their fears and perceptions of the school. The upperclassmen answered with honesty and humor.

There are occasional pranks, but they do not involve beating anyone up.

Stink bombs have occasionally been unleashed, but the smell dissipates quickly.

A lot of the bathrooms are kept locked for security reasons.

People will try to smoke in the open bathrooms but they are monitored pretty closely and you might get caught.

There are a lot of cute boys.

There is no swimming pool, although there is a pool table in the Teen Center.

There is an elevator but only for students with disabilities, and you have to wait for security to use it.

There are occasionally field mice, that arrive from the surrounding fields when the weather cools.

"We are a public school," Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo deadpanned. "We accept everyone, even the mice."

There are not 14, or 40, or 200 students with AIDS at the school, a rumor that ran rampant last year.

There is a state trooper assigned to the school through the Cops in Schools Program. A potential future problem is noted when a comment in one session refers to the "state pig in the school." This initially caused confusion among the upperclassmen, some of whom thought the reference was to an actual animal. When the reality dawns, they are visibly disgusted.

Yes, there are some fights, but "a teacher or someone will come flying out of a room in like 10 seconds to stop it, and you'll get suspended for nothing," senior Andrea DeKlerk said.

Berni explained that he was in a fight once: "I got into trouble and it didn't even solve the problem. It wasn't worth it."

And, yes there is "drama." It's called life, and high school has plenty of it.

"Rumors feed drama," DeKlerk said. "I tell someone, they tell someone else. It's a small school, and everyone knows everyone."

"How you personally deal with it, will determine how it is," senior Lauren Blose added.

The word "respect" was mentioned a lot.

"Our main goal here is to make you aware of your options and choices," DeGiacomo said. "They come with some hard decisions you'll have to make in your four years here - at least we hope it's only four years. Be good examples. But we can't force you. You have to choose."

Students headed to their buses and rides at least a bit more relieved.

Ronnie King liked the chance to meet the staff and people at the school.

David Lamanda recently moved in from Galloway Township. He's still got to get a bus pass, and his schedule has a couple of problems, but he said he feels more comfortable.

"I think I got a pretty good feel for what it's like," he said as his father came to pick him up.