By Priscilla Le
As the last days of summer come to an end and the eventual return to school is seen in the horizon, a question regarding how to start the school year emerges. And eventually, the question is answered with Smart Start, a presentation-style introduction to Baron culture and staff with opportunities to interact between students. But is it really the smartest way to start off the school year? Perhaps not. At least in its current form.
Jonathan Hurst, assistant principal of curriculum and instruction and the head of the Smart Start program, said its intended purpose is to “help acclimate students return[ing] to campus after not being physically on campus for some time,” and to encourage Baron culture. But is Smart Start really fulfilling its purpose in kick starting Baron culture, serving as an enjoyable activity for classes to build stronger bonds and providing a smoother transition to the school year? No, meh and yesn’t.
There are two versions of Smart Start that current Fountain Valley students have experienced. The first was last year, Smart Start 2021 (SS2021), in which presentations were created with questions that provided chances for interaction between students and teachers in classes. The second premiered this year, Smart Start 2022 (SS2022), a myriad of informational videos that were shown to students. Despite the different versions, they were created with the intention of fulfilling the same purpose. However, in their execution, they fall short.
First of all, SS2021 was long. Reallllyy lonnggg. Three days long. You get the point. Yes, we were coming back from COVID. Yes, we needed the extra push. The issue is not how long it took, but how boring it was.
Not only was it three days, but it was three days of similar if not identical activities with identical questions. Activities which sparked interest and community on the first day led to boredom and passivity on the third. This undermined the original intention of bringing Barons together as the lasting effect left less of an impact as it would have done within a shorter time frame. And because of this, the transition felt slow and forced.
And although there was some level of togetherness, SS2021 didn’t provide the impetus for Baron culture that would create a lasting change throughout the year. The Bell Game and Baron Games, two rooted traditions of the school, felt like an ordinary football game and a common assembly. The Baron culture and pride that accompanied such exciting events was dead compared to previous years. Instead of looking forward and preparing for these events, I forgot about them. Without the pride that backs them up, such events were merely an excuse to cover the school with posters displaying bright colors and fanciful puns which would be torn up by weeks end anyway. We can’t have this dull experience be the reality for future Barons.
Overall, the attempt was a solid first try. With anything, there is always room for improvement—but SS2022 was worse.
With the new school year, the shortened video format also had its flaws. Its effects were the inverse of the previous year’s. Short enough, yet less interactive or informative, therefore less impactful.
This year, its few benefits included the shortened time allotted for it. But its only strength was also a key flaw. The shortened time from three days to just a few minutes, precluded facilitated interaction between students, preventing the bonds that were being made during SS2021 to be nonexistent in SS2022. And although Baron culture was being shown in the videos, its impact will be useless come Bell Game season.
Interaction leads to friendship, perhaps a force more powerful than the pride we so desperately need at this school. Humans are social creatures. Without our friends also participating in the Bell Game festivities, it is unlikely that we will either. If Baron culture is only as strong as the people participating in it, get ready for some snooze fests.
Additionally, the videos spewed information that was already present in upperclassmen’s minds.
I’m a senior. I don’t need to know who the principal is or where the textbook room is. I know exactly where the library and the supervision office are. So, these videos were redundant and unnecessary. Give them to the freshman, but if you make me watch them, get ready for me to tell you that they were useless (The fire safety video, introduction to ASB, and sports are the only exceptions given that the topics have to be covered or they change annually).
If you want to give a video targeted to seniors, give us one on how to do college applications because we need all the help we can get.
And even then, the information present in the videos about the office staff and the location of the library, cafeteria, etc. are already introduced to freshman students at freshman orientation with link crew. If upperclassmen know the information, and freshmen had just been exposed to it, the redundancy is unnecessary. The information is useful, but it would be more suited to being posted on grade level canvas pages.
Furthermore, because they are private, students cannot even access the smart start videos if they wanted/ needed to rewatch them. This makes them even more forgettable.
Smart Start has amazing potential, but its execution was lackluster. Although both versions fulfilled some parts of its initial purpose, its deficiencies are overwhelmingly more noticeable. Thus, Smart Start is not living up to its name and the glory that it could be.
But, there is one solution that answers all of these deficiencies simultaneously. An. All. Out. Assembly.
Bring out the pom poms. Bring out the band. In fact, bring out all of the sports teams. Performing arts teams. Maybe some AP students. Because this is what Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) is. And this is what it represents. The fact that all of us, each with different interests, strengths, backgrounds and futures, can all be considered Barons is something to be celebrated—something to look forward to. Excite the freshman, drag along the seniors! By providing an assembly that showcases the different aspects of FVHS, along with a taste of grade level competition, it would set the tone for the remainder of the school year, providing a driving impetus for Baron culture. Such an assembly would quickly build bonds for students in their grade levels. And what can be a better transition to the school year than an assembly that will show you how awesome the school year is going to be!
Logistically, having an assembly on the first day of school would limit the intrusiveness on classes—assembly schedule would make sure that each class had the same amount of teaching time, which is more convenient for teachers. Additionally, having Smart Start be dedicated to one day would allow its planners to dedicate all of their efforts and time into one place.
We had a welcome assembly at the start of SS2021, but because it was in the mix of all of the events and questions, it was quite forgettable. Instead, Smart Start should be devoted to one assembly that stands alone so that students and teachers will never forget it.
This goes beyond figuring out how to start off the year right—it’s how we give our Barons the best four years that they can have. So, Barons… ARE YOU READY, READY?!?
