The class of ’29’ is finally here for the 2025-2026 school year, bringing a wave of energy and curiosity. Our new Wolverines come from a wide variety of middle schools, with many different perspectives, experiences, and expectations. The new students are full of fresh opinions about their upcoming journeys at Aliso Niguel and are already eager to share their feelings about the environment.
Children look forward to the high school experience for their whole lives. High school is a huge part of pop culture, which is why it is such a big part of people’s lives. While some movies and shows idolize it, others make it seem scary. When asked whether or not high school has met his expectations, Zane Kneizeh (9) says, “Much more than expected… the football games are perfect, although Hoco could have more activities.”
The sense of belonging within schools is almost as important as the purely academic aspects, as it leads to wide successes in life. Leaving junior high is scary; the large class sizes, all the new faces, and the challenging workloads and subjects. However, this can be improved largely by strong peer connections and morale. Aliso is proud to have such a positive and outgoing base of students. Kneizeh states that ANHS has a very strong and welcoming community, which makes the change easier for everyone.
Along with the social aspects, the academics can be very daunting to incoming freshmen, especially when students are juggling multiple activities and extracurriculars. Abel Rivero (9), honors student and member of Aliso’s ASB, says that he has a “much bigger workload with a lot more homework and more assignments… it can feel overwhelming at first, but I eventually learned to balance it.”
Although the subjects come with their challenges, students report that the classes are much more interesting and touch on more compelling ideas. Rivero describes classes as “going through things much more thoroughly than in middle school due to more specialized courses.” All of the freshmen spoken to have said that they feel much more motivated because they feel more drawn to what they are learning, which makes all the effort they are putting in feel more worthwhile.
Teachers play a key role in a positive high school experience. Rivero says, “The teachers here are complementary to my education, there’s a lot of different teaching styles, and I think it’s nice when they switch things up.” Our excellent staff helps meet the needs of our Wolverines and keeps classes fresh and interesting so students can learn according to what helps them.
As the Wolverines of 2029 settle in and voice their opinions, they seem to come to a general consensus that they are excited for the future at our school. From football games buzzing with energy to long hours of homework at home, these freshmen are already making a large impression in the Wolverine legacy.
