The 9th Grade Experience

We close out #EHSCareerMonth with a focus on Emmaus High School Class of 2018 graduate Jackie Bassett. She is the Founder and CEO of FD Market, which is a “a sustainable goods shop and zero-waste refillery. We're on a mission to make sustainable living obtainable and beautiful for everyone.” She does not have a linear path to business ownership, rather through a collection of experiences, both good and bad, established her valu...

As part of the #EHSCareerMonth series, we talked to Bob Rotruck, the radio announcer for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, a minor league hockey team based in Allentown that plays in the American Hockey League (AHL). In addition to his duties on the microphone, he coordinates media coverage on the Phantoms’ website and does videos for the team’s social media accounts.

During this conversation, Rotruck talks about his journey from carryin...

As part of the #EHSCareerMonth series, we talked to Amy Keller, who is the Creative Director for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, a minor league hockey team based in Allentown that plays in the American Hockey League (AHL). She coordinates the in-game fan experience for those attending the action at the PPL Center.

She provided a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes work that goes into the production of a game discussing the long hours of...

We are privileged to share the story of one of this year’s EHS Shave for the Brave “Honored Kids,” current EHS freshman Sam Mackaravitz. At the time of the recording, Sam is two years cancer free in his battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

In this episode, Sam talks about

Where will your path lead? 

Emmaus High School Counselor Mrs. Grim gives us all the important information to assist students, staff and parents on the road to answering that  question as we kick off March Career Month. She assists everyone in where to go to find the calendar of speakers, biographies on each presenter, and how to sign up through Naviance to attend the sessions. She also talks about the importance of taking the time ...

While many of us hope the pandemic is beginning to finally come toward a resolution, the focus and attention on student mental health will not  easily go away, as students will continue to face the challenges of the world around them. On this episode, we preview the 2022 EPSD Mental Health Symposium being held February 21 through March 6 which hopes to continue on previous work to help parents and members of the community understan...

This episode is a wrap-up for the 9th Grade Experience Podcast’s appearance at the Pennsylvania Education Technology Expo and Conference (PETE&C) in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Monday, February 7, 2022. Excerpts featured on this episode were take from the session titled “The Future of the 9th Grade Experience” which was held on the first day of the 4-day event “that provides quality programs focused on technology in the education...

Special thanks to Pennsylvania Education Technology Expo and Conference (PETE&C) Day 1 Keynote Speaker Jimmy Casas for taking time after his sessions on Monday, February 7, 2022, to chat with the 9th Grade Experience Podcast about his own middle/high school time, how to encourage and teach students and educators how to ask for help, and what he would do if he were back in the role of principal attempting to work first-year high...

To help promote the upcoming Emmaus High School Night at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on February 19, 2022, this episode features two members of the team talking about their unique 9th grade experiences while chasing the dream of playing professional hockey. Linus Sandin and Garrett Metcalf have both followed a long path to reach playing in the American Hockey League and look back on their experiences up to this point with special ho...

On this episode we spotlight everyone's favorite Emmaus High School "freshman," Branch, the Therapy Dog. Branch has been present in hallways and classrooms since the beginning of the school year, offering students another layer of support and comfort as they have returned back to the halls of EHS. You will hear from Mr. Mihalik, the coordinator of the East Penn Therapy Dog program, staff and students about the impact th...

Welcome Emmaus High School Class of 2026! Though we haven’t had our first major snow of the school year, thoughts are slowly beginning to turn to fall and the arrival of the next group of freshmen who will roam the halls of EHS. The first in-person introduction to EHS came on January 11, 2022, at the counseling department’s 8th to 9th grade guidance information night. On this episode, hear from current LMMS and Eyer students about ...

It’s normal for high school varsity athletes to put pressure on themself. Being a freshman on a varsity team only magnifies that intensity. Now, think about the expectations of being a first-year member of the nationally-ranked, defending state champion EHS field hockey team.

Autum Kernechel and Lauren Kushma cracked through and earned a spot on the varsity squad in what turned out to be a historic year for the program. The team ce...

During the course of the fall semester, Kayla Canning, a senior, pre-service teacher from Cedar Crest College, shadowed me in the classroom, which was one of my first experiences with.a pre-service teacher. On today's episode Kayla will give her impressions and thoughts of what it's like as somebody that's learning to become a teacher, especially with 9th grade students. She also honestly looks back on her own ninth gra...

With over 2,800 students, Emmaus High School is a community of learners from many different cultural backgrounds. The focus of the Global Citizens Club is to assist students in learning about and becoming actively engaged in promoting a globally-minded consciousness and worldview. On this episode we hear from club members Britney Cordero, Cecilia Christ, Shiv Patel, and Ariana Ruiz describe the ways that the group strives to help e...

When entering 9th grade, some students choose to ease into this transitional time to get their feet under them by limiting their activities and focusing on school.

Will Buck is not one of those students.

He is currently participating on two school sports teams during the fall season: varsity football as the kickoff specialist and JV soccer as a goalie. He is taking a demanding course load, full of upper-level honors classes. He is ...

This recording is from a roundtable discussion during a session at the 2021 Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts Conference held October 22, 2021 in Harrisburg, Pa. This was a wide-ranging conversation about the impact that 9th grade English class can have on students during their remaining years of high school and beyond. Themes of connectivity, failure, and recovery came through many of the answers from f...

It's time to get ready for Homecoming on this week's episode! It is hard to believe that we have just finished our 6th week of school and reached the halfway point of the first marking period. Listen in for strategies on finishing the grading period strong or even rebounding from a rocky start, the events and themes of homecoming week, and a reminder at the end that it is OK to change your mind and take chances. We are alwa...

It has been a month of great adjustments for the members of Emmaus High School's Class of 2025. In addition to the normal growing pains of entering high school, they have confronted a new block schedule, continued health and safety procedures due to Covid-19 and for many, reacclimating themselves to being in a school building for the first time since March 2020. To help us work through it all with helpful tips and strategies, o...