A big leap for the eighth grade.

Eighth graders from Mount Washington Middle School and Eastside Middle School visited the high school Feb. 27 and 28 for their annual transition days.

Transition days are a big step for all the eighth graders preparing for high school. On transition days the eighth-grade classes are offered a tour around the school, a peak in the classrooms, and get to visit tables set up for different extracurriculars at Bullitt East. The high schoolers and middle schoolers have a range of emotions when it comes to transition days.

Transition days at Bullitt East can be hectic for students. Students have to miss third and fourth period if they are a tour guide or if they are part of an extracurricular that has set up a table in the gym. When the eighth graders come to visit they first get settled in the main gym and have a performance by the choir and a speech by one of our assistant principals. The speech includes introductions to all our counselors, the eighth grade parent night details and a summary of what they will be doing during their visit. Afterward, the homerooms split into two groups with one staying in the gym to visit extracurricular tables while the other split into more groups and took a tour of the school with their assigned tour guide. The tour guides were from our SLAM class and each had an assigned homeroom that they took through the halls.

Morgan Zirnheld, a student in the SLAM class, enjoyed being a tour guide for both the days. “Some of them I knew so it was fun to talk to those kids and fun to meet new ones as well. All of the kids were very calm and respectful during the tour and some were excited to learn about the school and asked a lot of questions,” said Zirnheld.

During the tour, students got an opportunity to ask questions but many didn’t because they were focused on figuring out where everything was and trying to remember each hallway as they went down it. Mount Washington Middle School eighth grader Gabe Brangers initially had nervous thoughts coming to Bullitt East. “I thought it [Bullitt East] was very nice. I am nervous about the building being big and not knowing where all my classes are,” said Brangers.

On the other hand, Eastside Middle School eighth grader Erica Keeling is very excited about coming to Bullitt East. “I am most excited about meeting new people and getting to explore my interests. Bullitt East is a very big but welcoming school and it has a lot of options for me and my interests,” said Keeling.

Eighth graders have to adjust to many changes next August coming to Bullitt East. It will be different for most but they will get used to these crowded halls eventually.