On Jan. 24, the school hosted their annual eighth grade elective showcase. Wolf Pack Crew members guided Aubry Bend students around the high school, giving them a sneak peak of the different elective classes.
Art teacher Michele Foster-Lowman hung up her student’s artwork and had some of her classes’ work out in the halls during the showcase. This provided the eighth grade students with visuals to look at to get an idea of what each class is about.
“A lot of people don’t know, at the middle school level, what all [the art teachers] actually teach and what we do in our classes,” Foster-Lowman said. “A class may sound like something but it looks different, so I think it’s important to have [the eighth graders] come up.”
Not only does the elective showcase give middle schoolers an opportunity to pursue high school activities, but it also allows them to interact with current high school students. Sophomore and WPC member Charley Carlisle was one of the tour guides for the fair and said she liked how the experience was run.
“[The elective fair] gives them a lot more information,” Carlisle said. “And if some of [the eighth graders] are uncertain, it can answer a lot of questions, especially being able to talk to some of the upperclassmen.”
Making the eighth grade students more comfortable and bringing the community together is one of Carlisle’s favorite parts of the showcase. While she acknowledges the possible flaws of the elective showcase, Carlisle thinks it’s important to acclimate the 8th graders to high school.
“I know the elective fair can introduce them to a lot more classes that they could take and that could be overwhelming,” Carlisle said. “But I think [the elective fair] is more of a positive impact in general.”
This showcase was made to help the jump from one school to another. Foster-Lowman said she appreciates the information the elective fair gives the eighth graders.
“I think transition years are always tough,” Foster-Lowman said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s coming into high school or high school to college, transition years can be scary just because it’s the unknown, so I think anytime you get to see something you’re going into, it just helps you prepare a little bit.”
