Rockville High School Welcomes Freshmen At Annual Orientation Event

VERNON, CT — Incoming freshman had a crash course on what Rockville High School is all about Wednesday during the orientation day for the Class of 2028.

It's an annual event at RHS that takes place on a morning in August in which upperclassmen lead the tours and teachers and administrators lead the pep talks.

Oh yes, important academic issues are also covered.

A receiving line, complete with the RHS Ram Mascot, band and some very loud football players, greeting the freshmen as they arrived. Some of the new students smiled, some practically sprinted in and some kind of tiptoed through the line with very nervous faces.

"It's a good way to break the tension," RHS Assistant Principal Daniel Pichette said, referring to the receiving line participants as "our avengers."

The day was designed by Pichette and fellow assistant principal Erin Houlihan.

"We tweaked things to make it a little more fun and with more activities," Pichette said.

Talk about fun ... the "Back to School" backdrop in the auditorium was in Sponge Bob font.

While Pichette has been at RHS for years, it is the first at the school for Houlihan, who came to Vernon from Hartford's Sport and Medical Sciences Academy. She said the academic and extracurricular lineups at RHS are impressive.

"It really feels welcoming here and we want the new students to feel that sense of pride here at Rockville High School," Houlihan said. "This is clearly a tight-knit supportive community and I am looking forward to be a part of that."

Back to the Sponge Bob sign. RHS Principal Jason Magao had a short but inspiring message while standing in front of it.

"Opportunities are endless here at Rockville and we will look forward to shaking hour hands at graduation," he said.