Helping new students find a place to ROOST

Your first day of high school can be nerve wracking. Especially when coming to a new school where everyone seems to already know what they’re doing. How do you find your classes? How do you try out for sports? How do you use Canvas? And who do you ask all these questions to?

Science Faculty Ashley Powel set out to find a solution to these questions. Powel has been teaching ninth-grade students for many years and noticed that new Overlake students had a lot of questions about the logistics of school. 

“I was really feeling for the brand new students coming in. You’re at a brand new school. Everyone’s nervous to start High School. You want to know what to expect,” Powel says.

To fill the gap for incoming students, Powel sought out input from the other ninth-grade teachers as well as the counselors and learning support teams and created ROOST(rising Overlake owl starter training), a week-long orientation program for new ninth graders to get acquainted with Overlake before their first day of school. 

But of course, Powel wanted it to be an engaging experience for the students, so she leaned on her experience and designed a course based on her time leading the Overlake Forensics elective (which is no longer offered at this time). 

“I wanted something active and hands-on,” she says. “The whole thing is designed around a crime scene-the fictional murder of Adam the Chemistry teacher. But as they’re solving aspects of the crime scene, they’re also learning all these Overlake-specific skills.” Skills like how to write at Overlake, how to submit a file on Canvas, how to interpret different styles of feedback-all of these topics and more are covered in just one lab. 

While investigating the ‘crime scene’, students will do actual science labs and create actual reports that they will submit on Canvas and receive feedback to practice skills they will use during the year. They are also getting a chance to get to know their fellow incoming ninth graders so they can start off the school year with some familiar faces. 

New freshman Aliyah B. commented that she loved the murder mystery part, “we got to learn the ins and outs of Overlake.” Incoming freshman Johannes L. learned about the late start on Wednesdays and is very excited to sleep in on those mornings, “that’s pretty radical!” he says. 

One special part of ROOST that Powel has found to be popular is the chance for students to submit anonymous questions. Powel also has a rising Senior student assisting her during ROOST. The assistant typically helps set up the labs, but they are also a great resource to help answer some of the anonymously submitted questions. Everything from ‘What are some good study strategies?’ to ‘What are dances at Overlake like?’. 

This year marks the third year Powel has run ROOST and the results are encouraging, “I do think it makes a really big difference with kids who are experiencing starting Overlake as a brand new ninth grader. They’re much more engaged socially, and they can start out academically just as strong as the other students.”