Rebirth accompanies every graduating class at Diamond Bar High School—for the students, it’s a transition to the future: but to the Grade Level Coordinators, it’s a cycle to nurture the next generation of high schoolers under their wing. With the passing of this year’s graduating class of 2024, GLCs Ginger Zimmerman and Marc Natividad are preparing to take on yet another incoming class. Earlier this month, they visited South Pointe and Chaparral Middle School to help incoming Brahmas get oriented to move onto high school.
Before the GLCs’ visits, an informatory Special Programs Night was held to display the high school’s various achievements in academic divisions such as International Baccalaureate, Brahma Tech, Performing Arts and more. While this helped students better define their passions and future lives, it also served parents to have a better grasp of their students’ opportunities at DBHS. Other preparations for the eighth graders’ initiation involved a Parents’ Night, hosted by the GLCs, which included numerous revisions and updates to the transition process.
“Coming to high school is a big leap from middle school,” Zimmerman said. “We want [students] to feel as comfortable as possible as they learn about our campus and start their high school career… our hope is to always help the parents feel comfortable and knowledgeable about their students starting high school.”
During the week of Presidents’ Day, the high school GLCs held a grade-wide presentation for each school where they passed out registration packets and explained the registration process.
Zimmerman and Natividad visited schools for a second time on the week of March 4. Due to the graduate distribution between Diamond Bar and Walnut High, where most Chaparral students attend DBHS while many South Pointe students attend WHS, the GLCs spent two days at Chaparral Middle School and one at South Pointe Middle School to accommodate the incoming freshmen. During this week, the GLCs met with each student on a one-to-one basis, allowing them a chance to further clarify or ask questions.
“Sending our 8th graders to be in the care of their new GLCs is an easy thing to do. I know that they will be taken care of as new Brahmas,” CMS principal Robby Jung said.
DBHS will be hosting a middle school orientation at the school gym on April 29, led by Zimmerman and Natividad as well as the United Student Body. Though the rally will not involve most current Brahmas, the incoming freshman will have a chance to take a tour around the campus and get a fresh view of the school.
Until the summer, when registration meetings for the new school year take place, the GLCs of the Class of 2024 plan to dedicate themselves to the present seniors and make the most of their remaining time with them.
“Ultimately, the student chooses the direction they want to go and what is right for them. We are here to support that goal and support them,” Zimmerman said. “For a GLC, getting to know our new students takes some time, but we love conversations that help us learn new names and faces. That is what we will miss most about our seniors. The relationships we have formed over the past four years are something we love and we will miss them!”
