Two hundred thousand square feet, three floors, incomprehensible lunch waves, more than 250 classes to choose from and nearly 2,000 students: oh how fun it sounds to be a ninth grader at Staples.
The transition from middle school to high school is not an easy change. For some, it feels like going from being a big fish in a small pond to being a minnow in an ocean filled with sharks. It can be incredibly overwhelming, especially in those first weeks when you seemingly trek miles from class to class without recognizing a single face in the hallways. But things get easier when you realize the school has your back. Through programs such as Link Crew, Connections and sports, ninth grade isn’t as scary as it may seem.
Staples structures orientation programs well before the upcoming school year starts for the ninth graders, so they have plenty of time and opportunities to get adjusted.
“Programs start in eighth grade and run all the way through the first day of high school and beyond,” Assistant Principal Micah Lawrence said. “Each program is a little different and they all are designed to help students get to know the people, curriculum and building at Staples High School.”
For the current ninth graders, the transition process started in June, when as eighth-graders, they took a field trip to Staples during the day. They were given tours by members of Link Crew, a group of Staples upperclassmen who are each assigned to specific ninth grade Connections classes to help the students adjust to the ins and outs of high school.

In late August, about a week before the start of school, the soon-to-be ninth graders participated in a day-long orientation at Staples. During this orientation, Principal Thomas introduced the Wrecker’s clubs and explained their originations. The students then went to the field house with Link Crew members to sign up for clubs and Link Crew members led a tour of the school.
Once the school year starts, Connections is a great way for ninth graders to familiarize themselves with their peers. Before the first day of school, the ninth graders were the only students in Staples for the first half of the day, allowing them to get to know the building and their Connections class.
“Getting to school earlier than everyone else on the first day was helpful because it’s more chaotic with everyone at school,” Morgan Bernard ’28 said. “The multiple Connections classes were also helpful because my teacher helped explain the things we were confused about.”
Many ninth graders also have found that the best way to transition is by playing on a fall sports team. Sports programs allow students to bond with their classmates in a way that cannot happen in the classroom.
“Being on the cross country team has helped a lot,” Emerson Menoni ’28 said. “It lets me relieve stress and make new friends, especially upperclassmen who have been super helpful.”
Beyond the formal programs Staples has put in place, teachers are also looking out for their ninth graders.
“It’s a big transition from middle school to high school,” Science teacher Karen Thompson said. “I do a lot of review from middle school and make sure that the students are comfortable in their new school, and get to know them right off the bat so they know someone they can trust.”