On Monday, March 9, many current eighth-grade students flooded into the Ayala campus for the Eighth Grade Orientation, also known as Eighth Grade Night, for the class of 2030. Every year, right before students make their way into their first year of high school, they are invited to come see the big campus that they will spend the next four years at. Additionally, with the orientation, students are able to see the variety of clubs, electives, career paths, and the unified student body that Ayala offers. As a whole, this gives the new students coming to Ayala next year a glimpse of where they are coming to finish their public education and make wonderful memories with those around them.
“Eighth Grade Night is so important not just for eighth graders but current students as well, as it allows eighth graders to walk around while finding upperclassmen with the same interests,” Lauren Dalusong (9) said. “For Ayala students, we can promote our extracurriculars and hopefully get more incoming ninth graders to join, as this is the perfect opportunity to network.”
Eighth Grade Night is the perfect opportunity in order to continue outreaching with others in order to join programs. Ayala Dance and other programs carried posters around with designs. Additionally, other clubs like the Ayala Theater Company carried frames that way those who came to the booths could take pictures with it. This night is also filled with fun, performances, and activities for everyone to enjoy. Through the outreach provided, students are given a glimpse of the opportunities that may be currently limited. Eighth Grade Night is the event that significantly highlights the amazing student body that fills the campus.
“Students really enjoy this night because they can interact with each other and face a new progression into life,” Brandon Tsai (10) said. “Especially for the eighth graders as they explore and just have fun with their friends as they witness where their life is leading them.”
For both the incoming freshmen and current upperclassmen, Eighth Grade Night was filled with a great amount of joy and excitement. The excitement that comes as each freshman walks around their future campus is filled with screams and cheering to convince students to join different programs. Every program that spends its time trying to reach out is trying to stay fresh, as countless students see what is offered in their future school. This outreach is the part that brings joy and puts smiles on the faces of every student who can attend the event.
“Overall, Eighth Grade Night went extremely well, and we had a lot of incoming freshmen come and show interest,” Oliver Munoz (11) said. “Hopefully, many of them plan to join, yet this was the best part of the night as it was just amazing to see everyone be together.”
After seeing each and every delighted face be able to come into the amazing campus they will be on next year, students were truly unified. Every student attending the event was able to see all of the interested students in every program, club, and class offered. Not only were they able to create memories, but they were also able to bring back a physical piece of memorabilia from either taking photos with clubs or buying something from the student store. Throughout the whole Eighth Grade Night there were a variety of photo opportunities provided, adding even more to the night. Additionally, with Eighth Grade Night, current students are able to provide an outreach to newer students on all the amazing opportunities that can be unlocked in their future at Ayala.
