The Advocate and Democrat

Sweetwater High School freshman Torey Everett wanders the hall looking for his class.

But instead of having to worry about navigating a bunch of upper classman on a nervous second full day of school, Everett is quickly met by SHS Vice Principal Rodney Boruff, who points him in the right direction.

Sweetwater High’s Freshmen Academy, a separate wing of the school devoted only to freshmen, is up and running well, school officials said.

Everett said he is glad he and his fellow ninth graders have a building all to themselves.

“I was worried about the seniors,” he admitted.

While Boruff knows there are plenty of friendly upper classman who would help any freshman in need, Everett’s concerns are one of the main reasons SHS started the Freshmen Academy for the first-year students.

The first year of high school can be intimidating for freshmen, Boruff said.

Monroe County School System officials and SHS administrators don’t want the fears that come with attending a new school to interfere with the freshmen getting off to a good start toward earning their diploma in four years.

“We want to make sure every student feels like they can be successful,” Boruff said.

Boruff said his goal is to get to know all the freshmen on a first name basis.

So far the new students seem to like the extra attention they are getting.

“They really like it,” Boruff said of the 170 freshmen at the school. “That’s the biggest thing is easing the transition.”

SHS and county school officials did not take the idea of having the Freshmen Academy lightly.

“We have done a lot of planning and will have more to do,” Boruff said.

He said school officials visited freshmen academies at Morristown East, Brighton High in Memphis and Sevier County.

They also did a lot of Internet research, Boruff said.

All the fun, ball games, clubs and extracurricular activities popular during high school years are still open to freshmen.

But SHS administrators are taking the idea of a separate wing for ninth graders seriously.

The doors to the round building that houses the academy are closed in the hallway that connects the academy to the main building.

The upper classman do not go to that wing unless absolutely necessary.

When freshman have to go to another part of the campus for a class, a teacher comes to get them.

Boruff said the school is making good use of all the space in the round building and he believes having a separate wing helps ease student traffic throughout the entire campus.

The Freshmen Academy is not the only new effort the county school system is trying to improve the graduation rate.

The Monroe Academy will soon open at the central office in Madisonville, Director of Schools Mike Lowry said.

That academy will be a separate high school for about 40 students total from all three high schools.

Rick Saunders will be principal and the focus will be on getting these students on track to earn their diplomas.

tommy.millsaps@advocateanddemocrat.com | 337-7101

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