Student Life – Student Orientation

Questions for New Students

Where do I put my coat and books?

You will get your own locker. Your locker will have a combination lock on it. You may choose to have the lock removed for the rest of the year. There is a form you can fill out when your register to remove the lock. Lots of students leave their locker unlocked and simply don’t put anything valuable in their locker. If you decide to keep the lock, it is a good idea to write your combination in several places (notebooks, in your wallet, day timer) just in case you forget the combination.

How do I get to school?

You can ride the school bus for free; the bus driver will call in August and tell you the time for the nearest pick-up and drop-off to your residence. Or you can take your own car to school; parking is in the front and sides of the school. Students may purchase parking spaces during registration, cars must be registered if you plan to park on the campus.

Where do I get my schoolbooks?

You will lease your books from “the bookstore” and then return them when you are finished with the class. The bookstore is open during summer registration and also at the semester break; you will be mailed a bookstore schedule in August (at the same time you get your class schedule) as to when you should come and pick up your books.

What sports are available?

All interscholastic sports require a physician signed physical, medical forms are available at the high school office. There are lots of sports to choose from:

Fall Sports

  • Football (JV and Varsity)
  • Girls and Boys Cross Country
  • Girls Soccer (Varsity)
  • Girls Volleyball (C Team, JV, Varsity)
  • Girls Swimming – in cooperation with Lynden High School
  • Boys Tennis – in cooperation with Lynden High School

Winter Sports

  • Girls Basketball (C Team, JV, Varsity)
  • Boys Basketball (C Team, JV, Varsity)
  • Boys Swimming – in cooperation with Lynden High School

Spring Sports

  • Girls and Boys Track
  • Girls Fastpitch (JV, Varsity)
  • Boys Baseball (JV, Varsity)
  • Boys Golf
  • Girls Golf
  • Boys Soccer (JV, Varsity)
  • Girls Tennis – in cooperation with Lynden High School

Intramural Sports

Intramurals are sport competitions between homerooms that take place during the noon lunch break. Everyone may play. You do not need a physical to play intramurals.

Is it hard to find your way around the school?

Think of the school layout like an “H”, the student lounge is the bar that connects two long hallways. It is only one floor so you will learn your way around very fast. The chapel fills in the top part of the H shape.

Do you have chapel?

Chapel is held every week. Your homeroom teacher will have a seating chart. The same rules about tardiness/absences apply to chapel time. You need to be in your seat by the time the tardy bell rings. When you come on those mornings your report immediately to your chapel seat in the Worship and Fine Arts Center.

Where do I eat lunch?

We do not have a cafeteria so all students must bring their own lunch. Each day you eat your lunch in your homeroom, then the bell will ring and lunch break begins. Lunchtime is 10 minutes followed by a 15 – 20 minute break.

I like to sing, what can I participate in?

There is a class called Mixed Chorus, there are no auditions for this class. There are two ‘audition only’ singing groups, one is a class called Concert Choir and the other is an extracurricular performing group called Chamber Choir. Auditions are done in the spring of each year.

Are there any Drama productions?

Yes, there is a Fall Play and Spring Musical. Auditions are announced in the high school daily bulletin in the months before a production at the high school. There are also a wide variety of committees and groups that work to support the productions (lighting, stage, costumes).

Can I check e-mail?

Students can check e-mail during lunch breaks in the computer lab or library.

What time do you start in the morning?

The first bell rings at 8:30 a.m. and the tardy bell at 8:35 a.m. The school day ends at 3:15 p.m.

How do I know what classes to take?

Each year you will meet with an Academic Advisor, this is a teacher that will follow you all the way through your high school career. In your junior year the Academic Counselor, Mrs. Karen Houseman, will conduct a “credit assessment” of all your classes to make sure you are on target to graduate and are headed in the right direction to achieve your after high school goals. Mrs. Houseman is there to help you achieve your post-high school goals.