Welcome CHS Class of 2014

The Class of 2014 had the school to themselves on Tuesday as they learned to navigate the maze of hallways at Columbia High School.

A GPS might have helped. Their navigation experts were upper classmen in red T-shirts. "You're going to turn right. Then you're going to turn left," waved a senior mapping a course near the guidance offices.

Got it?

"I actually found three of my classes without any help," said Rachel. "I was shocked."

Tuesday's orientation day helped initiate 528 freshmen into Columbia High School. The day ran on a modified school schedule. It was just enough to provide a snapshot of what's ahead academically. Seniors led tours; the freshmen were assigned lockers. At lunch, they were recruited by dozens of high school clubs at an activities fair in the school gymnasium.

There's a lot to choose from. Sports teams were making their pitch. So were the Student Council, Yearbook, and Literary Guild. There was a juggler and guitarist. Freshmen signed up for many of the clubs, and quite a few decided the Chess Club wouldn't be a bad move.

That included Schools Superintendent Brian Osborne who challenged the team to a match  -- and while not officially recognized – was the day's chess champion.

"We were going easy on him," deadpanned Neil, the team's captain.

Ninth-grade orientation is all part of efforts to help freshmen connect with the school. It's not easy. Researchers target ninth grade as the make or break year for completing high school. Academic studies routinely point to drops in grade point averages and raising misbehaviors.

Administrators at Columbia High School intend to buck the trends and ease the transitions. Among their efforts are orientations held for both students and their parents, who had their chance last night to learn more about the school.

Beginning today, when the halls fill with nearly 2,000 students, CHS will be making sure the Class of 2014 begins moving in the right direction.