Benjamin’s eighth-grade students recently had a glimpse into life at the high school as a result of Shadow Week. This event is new to the schedule this year and allowed advisory groups to be shuttled up to the high school on a rotating schedule during the week of October 30. Advisory groups visited the Upper School on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (there was no trip on Tuesday because it was Halloween), and each eighth-grade student shadowed a current ninth grader. The eighth graders got to sit in on high school classes and get a glimpse of what life is actually like for high schoolers, an experience which current high schoolers who think is vital.

“The Upper School can be a hard transition for students at first, but once students adapt to the Upper School, it is a great environment because the teachers provide help to students and the students mature throughout high school,” said freshman Preston Pfleegor, who came through Benjamin’s Middle School. “At first the Upper School was a hard transition, but I have come to enjoy it more than the Middle School. Visiting the Upper School last year made my transition much easier,” he said.

The event was helpful for the current eighth graders as well, who thought the visit was worthwhile. “I felt it was necessary to visit so we could experience the high school to see what the high school is like,” said eighth grader Lauren Straub. “It helped me see what classes we could take.”

The trip also allayed some fears the current eighth graders have about the high school workload. “The visit helped end some rumors that people have been saying about the Upper School, for example how incredibly difficult it is,” said fellow eighth grader Ignas Berciunas. “I feel that the visit is something that should stay in order to prepare students for what their freshman year may be like.”

The administration recognizes the importance of the event as well, which is why this year, instead of sending the eighth grade up as one big group, they decided to make it more intimate and personal by sending a few advisories at a time.

“We’ve been shadowing or having half-day experiences at the upper school since I’ve been here, 17 years,” said Head of Middle School Mr. Charles Hagy. Last year we went in one big group. This year I recommended going back to the shadow one-on-one experience – it’s more personal.”

The visit also helps new students to TBS who are not familiar with the Upper School at all.

“We always hear that ninth graders talk about the differences between ninth and eighth grade, so we feel it’s important to get all of our students along with students from other schools to see what a day on the high school school campus is like, and how it is different from their middle schools,” said Director of Admission Mrs. Mary Lou Primm.

Hagy feels that shadowing makes a smooth transition to the high school. “It’s a transition experience, so we need a visit. I have a fifth and sixth transition and an eighth and ninth transition. There’s no better way to formalize kids to their environment that they are going into than to shadow.”