The first year of high school can be an incredibly anxious time for teenagers. New friends. New teachers. New campus. Every year, NDB helps combat the fears of the unknown by hosting a welcome dinner, where the new class can make connections and share a meal, while also learning about all NDB has to offer—sports, activities, teams and community. On April 30 the class of 2030 stepped onto campus and was officially launched into the NDB community as the incoming freshman class.
Students started the night by visiting tables which represented all of NDB’s athletics as well as their academic teams, such as mock trial and Robotics. After that, speeches were given to the incoming freshman by Head of School Merideth Essalot, Director of Admissions and Ambassador board co-presidents Alex Davidow and Autum Deets rodriguize.
Then, students who were put into their homerooms for next year and did games led by Ambassador board members, such as the emoji game and icebreakers. They continued the evening festivities, enjoying dinner and mingling while shopping NDB merch. Ambassador board member, Evelyn Fox mentioned how she loved seeing the new students come out of their shells and get to know each other while playing the games.
Fox also highlighted that this class is eager to take on all of NDB’s opportunities and make new friends. This class was especially meaningful because it was her first incoming class and she got to help them through their entire admission journey. This is not only her last admissions class, but her last year at NDB, meaning they will assume her class color: Blue.
“It’s been kind of eerie, or like unbelievable, to go into the More on the welcome dinner, and have everything be blue, because it feels like it really wasn’t that long ago when I was walking through when everything was blue. But I really do think that the blue color is being left in good hands and spirited hands, and they’ll continue the Sharks’ tradition of excellence,” shared Fox.
The freshman class coordinator was also in attendance, and seeing this class was not only special because he gets to meet the next group of young women he will be working with, but also it marks the end of his time as class coordinator with the current freshman class. However, Tomczak is excited to help them get introduced into the NDB community and all it has to offer
“It’s always fun to kind of help, help them discover all those incredible things, and help them discover how much they are willing to push themselves and grow,” said Tomczak.
The dinner marked the first time the class of 2030 stepped onto campus as a whole. Through the connections they made as well as the information they gathered, they are prepared to start their journey as Tigers in the fall.
