![IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Junior Zalie Mann performs “I Love to Cry at Weddings,” an ensemble piece from the fall musical Sweet Charity, to prospective students during the Fine Arts Showcase on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The showcase is a compilation of performances and demonstrations from each fine arts strand offered at McCallum. This show is put on so that prospective students can see if they are interested in joining an academy or major.
Sweet Charity originally ran the weekends of Sept. 28 and Oct. 8, but made a comeback for the Fine Arts Showcase.
“[Being at the front in the spotlight] is my favorite part of the whole dance, so I was super happy to be on stage performing and smiling at the audience,” Mann said.
Mann performed in both the musical theatre performance and dance excerpt “Ethereal,” a contemporary piece choreographed by the new dance director Terrance Carson, in the showcase. With also being a dance ambassador, Mann got to talk about what MAC dance is, her experience and answer any questions the aspiring arts majors and their parents may have.
Caption by Maya Tackett.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/53321803427_47cd17fe70_o-1-1200x800.jpg)
![SPREADING THE JOY: Sophomore Chim Becker poses with sophomores Cozbi Sims and Lou Davidson while manning a table at the Hispanic Heritage treat day during lunch of Sept 28. Becker is a part of the students of color alliance, who put together the activity to raise money for their club.
“It [the stand] was really fun because McCallum has a lot of latino kids,” Becker said. “And I think it was nice that I could share the stuff that I usually just have at home with people who have never tried it before.”
Becker recognizes the importance of celebrating Hispanic heritage at Mac.
“I think its important to celebrate,” Becker said. “Because our culture is awesome and super cool, and everybody should be able to learn about other cultures of the world.”
Caption by JoJo Barnard.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/53221601352_4127a81c41_o-1200x675.jpg)
As a brand new year starts at Prosper High School, hundreds of new students swarm the hallways in search of their classes. Out of the 3,434 students that attend PHS, a whopping 350 of them are brand-new to the district. Upon learning this, counselor Kristin Figueroa, developed a plan to help these students feel welcome in an unknown environment — new-student tables.
“Last year, a lot of new students were coming in, as we’re a growing district. I had a heart for them because I felt like they had nowhere to go,” Figueroa said. “It’s scary to be at a new school that’s so big, but one of the scariest places is lunch.”
PHS students in Student Leadership and Hope Squad volunteered to sit at these tables to give new students a peer to sit with for their first few days. This not only provided new students with familiar faces on campus, but also with a positive first experience at the school.
It’s scary to be at a new school that’s so big, but one of the scariest places is lunch.
— counselor Kristin Figueroa
“I remember what it was like to be a new student with no friends to sit with at lunch,” junior Sarah Goddard said. “For the first quarter of my freshman year, I sat alone. It’s pretty easy to find the kids who have nobody to sit with — the ones on their phones, aren’t talking to others — and so I just sat with them. Going to a new school is hard for anybody. Going to a new school when you’re not from Prosper and having no friends is a whole other level of difficulty.”
The ‘new-to-PISD’ table is only the first step in helping new students integrate and embrace everything PHS has to offer. Every student at Prosper High School was once a new student, and senior Charlotte Walley said hey experience inspired her to help upcoming students.
Going to a new school when you’re not from Prosper and having no friends is a whole other level of difficulty.
— junior Sarah Goddard
Students who overcame being the new person at school said getting to know others by joining clubs and other programs agreed that recognizing even a few familiar faces made this Texas 6A-size school feel smaller.
“I think that everybody, no matter where they’re at, should make an effort to meet new people,” Goddard said. “By forming new connections, we create a stronger sense of community and belonging. I’m so thankful for the connections that I was able to make with the students I met at the ‘new-to-PISD table.’”
This story was originally published on Eagle Nation Online on August 17, 2023.
