Dear Class of 2019,
Welcome to Freehold Township High School!

Depending on how you spend them, the next four years of your life could be the absolute best or the absolute worst. It’s all in how you decide to go about your high school adventure. But since you are attending FTHS, you are already off to a pretty good start.

FTHS is going to be a bit scary and intimidating at first, but all the older students have already felt just how you are feeling. Everyone looks so much older, and sometimes you may think a senior is a teacher but nope, that person just seriously looks way old. It’s like a whole new world. Teachers are going to start treating you like adult human beings instead of children, which might be one of the best things about moving on from middle school. Definitely take advantage of that, but still respect your teachers just as you would with any of your superiors. Be all ears for what they have to say and be all for what they want you to do — your effort is always appreciated and reflected in your grade.

Back to being afraid — that’s normal. It’s also normal to ask somebody for help when you need it. Most of the upperclassmen would be more than happy to lend you a hand; they remember exactly what it’s like to be in your shoes. Or, ask any member of the wonderful FTHS staff because they are always pleasant and very helpful.

Blah, blah, blah, advice, advice. On to the real reason for this letter to the freshmen: newspaper. The Patriot Press is a versatile, light-hearted source for anything you need to know about your new school. It is open to anybody that wants to write or share something that they are passionate about with their peers. We work hard to make sure that the full spectrum of student interests are written about and constantly updated. We are adamant about covering everything great FTHS has to offer. If writing for the newspaper doesn’t sound appealing, taking pictures for the website might be. Being a photographer gets you into cool school events that you might not have been able to get into otherwise.

Overall, The Patriot Press has a little something for everybody in and outside of the school. Joining newspaper gives you the opportunity to not only be in the school’s best club (and there are some really great ones), but the pleasure of meeting and conversing with the club’s advisor, Mr. DiGiuseppe. He will find a way to make fun of you, but don’t let that scare you away — that only means he thinks that you’re totally awesome and he can’t understand why he can’t be just like you. [Advisor’s Note: half of Leah’s last sentence is true, but I’ll let you figure out which half.]

Freehold Township is the greatest high school ever, and it’s radical that you get to be a part of it. Get involved, pay attention, and educate yourself on all the school has to offer.
Good luck Class of 2019.
Leah Emmerich

Editor-in-Chief

P.S. Please do consider newspaper; freshmen add fresh new ideas to our site.