With the district spotlight zeroed in on Blue Valley Southwest this year, how students in general are adjusting to the school is constantly being examined. Something that isn’t as talked-about is how students from different school settings and schools are adjusting to Southwest, compared to each other.

Sophomore Trae Hunjak, who was home-schooled until this year, says the transition has been smooth sailing.

“It hasn’t been very hard, because I’m not some weird, antisocial home-schooled kid,” he said. “There are a lot of weird ones, but I’m not one of them.”

Junior Amanda Moore, from Blue Valley High School, didn’t like the school at first.

“None of my friends from Blue Valley came,” she said. “I knew people from West, but I wasn’t as close with them as I am now.”

A walk down a hallway during passing period will reveal that not all students are as happy as Hunjak and Moore.

“I think it is harder for the kids from [the] Blue Valley [district] because they have a lot of friends they had to leave that are still at their old school,” Hunjak said. “I do think it affects West more than BV, though. That’s what I dislike about the school — too many people are complaining about it.”

Moore finds differences in rules between Blue Valley and Southwest the most difficult thing to adapt to.

“Every time you want to go to your locker or even just go get a drink, you have to use your assignment notebook as a pass,” she said. “I know that’s not really a big deal, but it’s different than how Blue Valley does it.”

Moore, who rated the ease of her transition to Southwest as a six out of ten, says the school is growing on her.

“I really like the combination of West and Blue Valley kids,” she said. “Even though it’s harder to get to class on time, I like all of the room — the school is huge compared to Blue Valley.”

For Hunjak, there is more to adjust to than just a new building.

“You’re in an actual classroom,” he said. “The schedule is also different too — at home, you just go until your work is done for most of the classes. But at school, there’s a set schedule.”

Hunjak rated the ease of his transition to the school as a ten out of ten.

“At public school, you actually get to see people,” he said. “You have a lot more friends.”

Moore thinks it was easier for people from outside the Blue Valley district to adapt to Southwest than those from inside it.

“Most of the Blue Valley and West kids didn’t have a choice to come, and people from places like Aquinas and Rockhurst did,” she said.

While she misses people and teachers from Blue Valley, Moore is acclimating quickly to Southwest.

“I do miss some of the Blue Valley teachers,” she said. “But these new ones are growing on me very fast.”