NAME OF ARTIFACT: 9th Grade Orientation Schedule & Notes
ARTIFACT DESCRIPTION:
This artifact includes planning notes and ideas connected to the Ithaca High School 9th Grade/New Student Orientation for the 2025–2026 school year. The orientation day was designed to help incoming students and families feel welcomed, connected, and prepared for the transition into high school. The planning process involved weeks of coordination with administrators, counselors, teachers, student ambassadors, families, and community stakeholders to ensure the day was organized, engaging, and supportive for students. My role included helping plan the day's structure, thinking through student needs, collaborating with staff, and making adjustments throughout the process to improve the overall experience for students and families.
Program Standards (PSEL): Standards 1,8,3
ARTIFACT REFLECTION:
This experience reminded me that communication is everything when planning something this large. It also showed me that people are more willing to support a vision when they feel heard and included in the process. Buy-in, relationship-building, and intentional planning all matter when creating a positive experience for students and families. I also learned how important first impressions are. Orientation is more than just giving schedules and walking students around the building—it sets the tone for the entire school year. Students and families need to feel welcomed, supported, and connected from day one.
ARTIFACT CONNECTIONS TO CAS COURSEWORK:
The orientation schedule connects to EDA 712 because the course focused on supporting diverse learners and building relationships with students, families, and communities. That was a major part of planning orientation and ensuring students felt welcome and supported. It also connects to EDA 762, which focuses on inclusive schooling and creating systems that support all students. Orientation was designed to help students understand the building, expectations, and supports available to them before the school year officially started. This artifact also relates to EDA 772 because the planning process required collaboration, organization, communication, and leadership across different groups within the school community.
ARTIFACT CONNECTION TO YOUR VISION:
This artifact directly aligns with my vision of creating a school environment where students feel welcome, supported, and connected. In my vision, schools should be places where relationships, communication, and belonging matter just as much as academics. Orientation is one of the first opportunities to create that feeling for students and families. It also reflects my belief that schools should build strong partnerships with families and create systems that help students feel safe, prepared, and included. This planning process helped support those goals by intentionally creating spaces for connection, communication, and community-building.
ARTIFACT IMPACT:
1 The Orientation schedule helped create a smoother transition into high school for incoming students by familiarizing them with the building, routines, staff, and expectations before the school year began. Experiences like this can reduce anxiety and help students feel more confident and connected as they enter a new environment. The planning process also strengthened collaboration among staff and student leaders because everyone had to work together to create a successful experience. For families, it helped build trust and communication with the school early on. Overall, the orientation supported relationship-building, school culture, and student belonging before the first official day of classes.
