THERE was plenty of excitement and maybe just a few nerves this week, as Year 7 students began their secondary education at Hunter River High School (HRHS) on Wednesday, 31 January.

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Years 7, 11 and 12 students at HRHS started the day earlier than the rest of the school, giving the youngsters
a chance to adapt to their new environment and a new timetable that involves moving from class to class.
The 2018 – Year 7 Year Advisor, Mrs Trudy Dixon said, “This year the school has welcomed its largest Year
7 cohort, with 182 students.”

She said getting to know the physical layout of the school seemed to be the biggest challenge for the Year 7
students each year, and their first day was dedicated to introducing the students to new routines and
expectations and the subjects they would undertake.

HRHS also invited Year 10 peer support leaders to come in a day early, to help guide the Year 7 students
through their first day of high school.

“I guess I know what it felt like to be nervous starting high school, because I was pretty nervous.”

“I guess I just wanted to be someone they could come to for help and to be there to support them a bit,”

described Year 10 student, Hayley Martin.

Among the new students experiencing high school for the first time were Nyalla Gordon, 11, Angel Hodson,
12 and Madeline Lilley, 12, who all finished primary school at Tanilba Bay Public School last year, and
Eleanor Wakley, 11, who finished at Raymond Terrace Public School and Kallie Bailey, 11, who finished at
Medowie Public School.

Nyalla said she was initially nervous about starting but was very excited once she got to HRHS. “I couldn’t
wait to start all the new and different lessons that I didn’t do at Tanilba Bay PS.”

“I was just so excited to jump right into my first class,” said Angel.

“I am looking forward to having my first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) lesson,”
described Eleanor.

“I was having mixed feelings before I started, but after day 1, I feel more confident and I am hoping that 2018
will be an amazing year for me and everyone else in Year 7,” Madeline said.

“Starting Year 7 is great! I can’t wait to have my first Maths lesson”, said Kallie.