“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them,” pondered Andy Bernard, a character on the popular television series, The Office.

As the school year comes to an end, this quote is certainly relevant to many of the freshmen’s feelings as they have just started high school. Some of the members of the class of 2026 reflected on their first year at OLSH.

For many of the freshmen, this year has been a very positive experience. When asked to rate their first year on a scale of 1 to 10, over 50% of the freshmen who responded to a questionnaire, gave it an 8 or higher. Some of the class’s favorite things this year were meeting new people, playing on sports teams, and the teachers. Bridget Fogle likes that OLSH is much smaller than the public schools she previously attended. For Kayleigh Scialabba-Meehan, the opportunities in the theater department were a particularly bright spot for her. Each student received many different opportunities this year, and for some of them, that made all the difference. 

This year certainly had been a learning experience for the freshman both in and out of the classroom. Surprises were not uncommon for the 2026 class at OLSH. Some were pleased by how caring and passionate the teachers are. Also, meeting new students and making new friends added to the positive experience. Overwhelmingly, the response from the freshmen described a very welcoming environment from faculty and students.

Throughout the year, the freshmen have gained a lot of knowledge on what high school is about and how to succeed in it. Some advice for current 8th graders that the freshman had was not to wait to make friends, just go out and meet people. Most recommended getting involved with athletics or clubs. Brayden Douglas would encourage them to complete assignments on time and get plenty of sleep. A reassuring message from John Cavicchia would be, “Once you get the hang of it, it’ll feel just like middle school.” 

With the school year almost over and summer just around the corner, most students are making plans for their time off. However, when asked about their hopes and goals for their sophomore year, many of the freshmen do have ideas of what they wish to achieve. For many, they hope to work harder, get better grades, and even make the NHS. Others have aspirations for improvements in sports and winning championships. For example, Katelyn Miller’s goal is to help OLSH win the WPIAL in girls cross country.

Because the school year seemed to go by so fast, some of the students want to get involved with more activities and to keep building new friendships. Further, continuing to grow in their faith is a very important important goal. Joey Wertz is looking forward to making each year of high school better than the last.

While school years can be filled with ups and downs, the freshmen seem mostly happy with their beginning at OLSH and optimistic for the remainder of their high school years there. Hopefully, the entire class of 2026 will look back at their time at OLSH and appreciate them as some of their “good old days.”