By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Nearly 600 incoming freshmen started at Desert View High School on Wednesday, July 29, with many of them already familiar with the campus.
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The school’s Freshman Academy — a program unique to Sunnyside Unified School District — places freshmen together for their core classes, creating what administrators describe as a middle school environment inside a high school building. Outreach to incoming students begins as early as eighth grade.
Kristin Carter, the Freshman Academy’s assistant principal, said the program’s guiding principle is straightforward.
“Our motto for Freshman Academy is ‘connection ready,’ and we start talking to them about that in their 8th grade year,” Carter said.
Desert View Principal Angelica Duddleston said early connection is tied directly to long-term outcomes.
“The road to graduation doesn’t happen senior year, and our most successful students are students that get connected,” Duddleston said.
For incoming freshman Orlando Ray Dominguez, those connections started on the football field months before the school year.
“They had a thing for incoming 8th graders in December, so I’ve been working with the JV teams,” Dominguez said. “I’ve built a friendship and a bond with the football team the past few months.”
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Incoming freshman Madelin Ramirez also spent time on campus over the summer. She said the transition still carries some nerves.
“It’s a bit scary sometimes getting to know more people, but I know I’m able to,” Ramirez said.
Carter said her team’s focus is on making sure every student feels ready to take that first step.
“They may be nervous, they may be intimidated, and just making sure they feel safe and secure here on our campus so they can come together as a group,” Carter said.
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