Starting school with a helpful crew
The Marysville High School colors are orange and black but there’s a group of students wearing blue shirts who are helping newcomers transition to the campus.
Known as the Link Crew, they’re part of a leadership team on campus who offer help for incoming freshmen get to know the school on the first day, which was Wednesday, and beyond.
“We have a really big freshmen class so we spent August 9 connecting the freshmen with the Link Crew, who did tours and ice breakers and other games,” said Principal Shevaun Mathews. “They wear blue shirts and help build school culture.”
She said this year’s total enrollment at the campus is up from previous years at about 1,050 but that number can change.
“The ag leadership team met all the busses as they arrived this morning with banners cheering the kids as they got off the
bus,” Mathews said. “It was a great way to welcome our kids, many who come from as far away as Brownsville and Browns Valley.”
She said this week will be filled with welcome back activities including a rally.
“We’re really excited to get school going this year,” she said. “We teach expectations and build relationships with peers and teachers.”
Junior Kaylee Gresham, 16, is one of 52 Link Crew members and appreciated the help she got as a freshman so she wanted to do the same for this year’s freshmen.
“I know what it’s like being the underclassman and it’s not always fun,” she said. “My Link Crew made it better for me as a freshman so I wanted to give back.”
Math teacher and activities director Ryan Wallace, who also oversees the Link Crew with co-advisor Amberly Greminger, said it’s one of many ways they help welcome the new freshmen at the school.
“Our big Link Crew event, (Freshman Orientation) was last Friday, and we had almost 300 freshman show up and make those special connections with the upperclassmen,” Wallace said. “Today, we were all around helping the freshman all day.”