The first day of school; A day where many experience the feelings of excitement, stress, and confusion as you begin to find your way to classes and meet your teachers. But not everyone starts on the same day.

Being a new student at Tahoma myself, I have my own personal experience. My first week was the week before winter break, I had moved from Oregon to Washington. With the stress of moving, being away from friends, and no longer on my swim team, I had come to Tahoma at the end of 2nd semester.

I was in a new school, and I was alone.

Or so I thought, before entering the doors of my classes and feeling welcomed by tablemates and teachers. It seemed that everywhere I went, Tahoma students were full of spirit, introducing themselves and friends and helping me get caught up on school work and school navigation. Everyone I saw seemed to encourage others to do their best, or be kind, all with a simple smile.

When I started looking for it, this smile was everywhere, on the faces of staff and students alike. Wondering if this smile had impacted other ‘new bears’ at Tahoma, I found Preston Campbell, and asked him about his first day. “The teachers were really nice and the staff members were super helpful, one staff member helped me find one of my classes,” he commented.

In fact, Preston was not the only person who felt this way. “Coming from such a different culture, I was worried about what the students might be like,” said Bethea, a new ELA teacher, thinking back to her first day.  Bethea said she was pleasantly surprised with the students and staff here, which helped her settle in. Shelby Williams, a sophomore, said she was, “Terrified, and that everyone knew I was a new student.” When asked what people could have done to make new students and teachers feel more welcome, she responded, “Don’t make them feel weird about being new. It’s considerate to ask them about where they’re from, but don’t question them about it 24/7. I would also consider their feelings. They’re probably anxious and homesick, so if you offer to be their friend and they deny, give them space.”

While not everyone has the chance to help new bears on their first days, we all can do something to assist them indirectly with very little effort. According to a survey taken for this article, at least 72% of new bears could have used an extra smile on their first day. In addition, 50% of the students said that a smile was a 4 out of 5 on the importance scale, meaning they really were relieved with smiles.  “New teachers can feel just as lonely or isolated as students,” Ms. Bethea said, a reminder that it’s not just students who feel stressed or anxious. “Be welcoming and friendly, include them in conversations, and just be kind.”

To help our new bears feel more welcome, let them know they are not alone. We were all new here at some point.