In a Bear Facts first, we track a freshman through her first year of high school, Post-COVID style. How did the pandemic affect this Zoomer? The year will decide.

Now that we are halfway through the school year, freshmen have had time to adjust and become accustomed to their new school. The building doesn’t seem as large, high school is not as intimidating as it once was, and their first part of their four-year journey is 50% complete. Though the holidays are over, winter break in February is close by, giving everyone some motivation to get through the mid-year slump and home-free to another week-long break. Until then, it is a pretty quiet time in the school year; everyone is just trying to get by for the next couple of weeks.
At this point in the year, many freshmen have accomplished many “firsts” at Brewster High School. For some, it was being in their first high school concert for band, orchestra, or chorus. Even though these students might’ve done numerous concerts in the past, performing in the high school is a whole new experience: they have to play more difficult music and have to learn it more quickly. Many freshmen involved in band have also gotten a taste of being in the high school’s marching band for the first time–they had the privilege of getting to go to and perform at different places. Additionally, some freshmen are playing a high school sport for the first time. Though the sport may be the same, the expectations, skill level, and training are quite different from the modified sports in middle school.
Speaking of the new expectations in high school, sports and music are not the only places where the expectations are raised. Classes are now getting harder and schoolwork is more demanding with quarter two almost finished. After coming off the Holiday High in December, teachers are no longer going easy on the new class. Freshmen have now had plenty of time to get adjusted to Brewster High School. With this, the workload given has increased since the beginning of the year, and being a new freshman is no longer an excuse not to work to their full potential. Tests, quizzes, and projects are given more frequently, especially for those in honors classes.
Freshmen are finally getting the full high school experience, with expectations now being a lot higher as compared to middle school. This was overwhelming at first; but the same way freshmen quickly adjusted to BHS at the start of the year, they will be able to adjust to these new requirements by the end of the year. One new expectation some of the Class of 2026 are facing is taking the New York State Regents Exam for the first time. Though most freshmen by now have taken the Regents for Living Environment, many have not taken a formal exam for math yet. Though this will be touched on more as the big test day gets closer, it’s definitely something that some 9th graders will have to gear up for and think about as that day approaches.
For now, nothing crazy is going on with the Class of 2026 at the moment. Most of us are just trying to get through the next couple of weeks until February Break and trying to fully take in all of the opportunities that Brewster High School has to offer.