Freshman goes from shadow to student

The Quad was filled with students, smiling and chattering as then Stratford School eighth-grader Riya Kalra walked beside her assigned freshman shadow last year.

Now a freshman, Kalra remembers that day vividly. From watching videos of bug-eating plants in teacher Lisa Cochrum’s biology class to scanning various novels for the independent reading project in English 9, Kara could envision Saratoga High as her home for the next four years.

“Something about this school felt different,” Kalra said. “At SHS, everyone was so welcoming that I felt right at home. SHS had something special, and as soon I stepped on campus, I could tell that I wanted to be a part of it.”

Many students like Kalra have tried out a day at Saratoga High by following a freshman through a school day. This process allows probable students get a taste of life as a SHS student before they enroll.

Former school secretary Sue Dini ran the entire shadowing program from the office, where parents could call in to schedule a day for their student to shadow a freshman. Dini would then match their child with a freshman whose schedule is similar to theirs. Shadows could choose to stay for whole or half the day, although Dini always recommended that they stay through lunch in order to fully experience student life here.

After Dini’s retirement this fall, administrative assistant Pola-Michele Alas now is in charge of the program.

Her day as a shadow was what helped Kalra choose Saratoga over private schools such as Saint Francis and Harker, which she had been accepted into.

“Everyone was kind and welcoming, and I could see myself attending SHS one day,” Kalra said. “Eventually, I decided that going to SHS was a better choice for me that going to a private high school.”

Prior to her shadowing experience, Kalra had her doubts about the school. Having had attended the same school for 11 years, she had never been “the new kid” before.

“It's hard to figure out what you want in a high school, especially when there are so many options,” Kalra said. “But at Saratoga, everyone was so welcoming that I felt right at home.”