Freshman Jackson Voelker said it was “a fun competition that captured Halloween.”

The event was the second freshman teams competition of the year. Baldwin introduced the freshman teams concept this year to help the Class of 2029 start their high school career positively.

All freshmen were put on teams headed by teachers who have freshman classes, with help from  two upperclassmen per team who assist. The teams then participate in competitions and other activities throughout the year.

Assistant Principal Denise Wells created the team program, and freshman counselor Julie Sumper has provided assistance.

Wells said the teachers draft the freshmen on their teams, which is the first step in creating a sense of belonging for the students.

“Teachers drafted 12 students who they have in one of their classes, then an additional 10 to 12 students outside of their classes. This encourages all students to interact with each other, and hopefully become friends with each other outside of the classroom,” Wells said.

Science teacher Kent Radomsky sees this program as a great opportunity for the freshman class.

“Freshman teams help the freshmen navigate their first year here. A lot of times it can be overwhelming for some students coming here for the first time, even though the freshmen this year have been at the high school before,” Radomsky said.

Freshman year can be one of the most stressful years for a high school student, and the teachers made sure to acknowledge this issue in the program.

“Another goal of these teams is that the kids will have an adult in the building that they can come and talk to about anything. Whether they have a question or issue, they know they can come to me,” Randomsky said.

Fellow science teacher Lara Dorman agreed.

“We’re trying to give them a sense of community and connect them with other students that they might not know well,” Dorman said. “Our hope is that they are being set up for success in the next four years, and that they will find a group that they can connect with and want to come to school.”

Freshman Emmett Staub is on Radomsky’s team, Radomsky’s Renegades. Staub said the program has helped him make connections.

“I’ve gotten to know my fellow students better and work in groups with them,” Staub said.

Each teacher has a few upperclassman assistants to help with the team.

“Our upperclassman helpers serve as another form of support if the kids have any questions or concerns,” Dorman said.

Junior Nate Malock is one of the assistants for Dorman’s team.

“My job is to make sure that the kids are on task, but also that they are having a good time,” Malock said.

The team concept is a fun yet effective way to get freshmen used to the building and their new peers, he said.

“I think it’s important that this was formed because it’s good to keep them in a community,”  Malock said.

The first challenge of the year had students gathering staff signatures from throughout the building to complete a bingo card. It was won by math teacher Thomas Simcho’s team, the Simcho Slayers, who were rewarded with a breakfast in the atrium.

Simcho said he had been confident that his team would win the event.

“That’s just what we do. We work harder than everyone else,” he said.

The second event, the Halloween race competition, was won by Stephanie Neal’s team, The Mighty Ducks

Simcho, meanwhile, said the team program gives freshmen a good introduction to the school.

“As a freshman, you don’t know a lot of people, teachers, secretaries, and so forth,” Simcho said. “I think it’s a good bonding experience.”

One of Simcho’s team members, Braydon Garfold, said the challenges offer bonding opportunities with other students on a deeper level.

“I think it’s pretty cool. It introduces us to kids who we might not have class with,” Garfold said. “We also get to face off against our friends, which is pretty fun.”

Garfold said the challenges also prompt thinking skills.

“For our competitions, we create some sort of strategy in order to have better chances of winning,” Garfold said.

The program will continue for future classes of freshmen.

Looking further ahead, the school is looking into ways to keep the program going beyond the students’ freshman year, Wells said.

“It’s still a work in progress, but we are thinking of how to keep this idea sustainable,” Wells said. “We’re trying to help them build skills that they need to be successful in high school and life in general.”