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Welcome Night introduces eighth graders to upper school community

Byline photo of Charlene Li
by Charlene Li, News and Photo Editor
April 18, 2026
Eighth graders Anaika Verma and Alicia Zaharnocy smile as Link Crew members welcome them. Incoming ninth-grade students received a first glance at high school life during the annual Welcome Night at the upper school on Monday.
Eighth graders Anaika Verma and Alicia Zaharnocy smile as Link Crew members welcome them. Incoming ninth-grade students received a first glance at high school life during the annual Welcome Night at the upper school on Monday.
Charlene Li
A parent of an incoming frosh takes food outside the RPAC. While the students engaged in activities in the quad, parents heard talks from administrators about the fundamentals of high school.

Incoming ninth-grade students received a first glance at high school life during the annual Welcome Night at the upper school on Monday.

Incoming ninth-grade students received a first glance at high school life during the annual Welcome Night at the upper school on Monday. 
Charlene Li
Eighth graders sit in a line during the "Captain My Captain" game, which encouraged teamwork through ship-themed instructions that required students to collaborate.

 

A parent of an incoming frosh takes food outside the RPAC. While the students engaged in activities in the quad, parents heard talks from administrators about the fundamentals of high school. (Charlene Li)
Eighth graders sit in line during the “Captain My Captain” game, which fostered teamwork through ship-themed commands. (Charlene Li)

Students connected with their assigned buddies and Link Crew members for the first time and heard from a senior panel about high school life. Welcome Night was designed to be a day where eighth graders could meet all members of the incoming frosh class and learn about some aspects of the high school.

“It was cool being able to meet new people from different backgrounds,” eighth grader Shannon Li said. “One of my friend’s buddies came from Seattle, while my buddy came from Challenger, so it’s really cool being able to see all the new people and introduce myself. It’s good for both incoming and returning students to see how high school life is and prepare themselves before the upcoming school year.”

Downbeat performs during Welcoming Night. They sang “Little Blue” by Jacob Collier and “Don’t Be So Hard” by Jeff Glynne, showcasing the high school’s performing arts program.

Mathematics teacher Jeanette Fernandez, who will serve as the Class of 2030’s dean, and Upper School Division Head Paul Barsky delivered brief speeches emphasizing the importance of community and connection. 

Following the speeches, Harker Dance Company danced to C.U.T. and Tanya Lacey’s “See Me Now,” and Downbeat sang “Little Blue” by Jacob Collier and “Don’t Be So Hard” by Jeff Glynne, showcasing the high school’s performing arts program. Link Crew members hosted a game of “Captain My Captain” to encourage teamwork through ship-themed instructions that required students to collaborate.

“I’m planning on auditioning for HDC soon, so it’s good to see what type of dance they usually do and where they usually perform,” Shannon said. “I’m really excited to maybe perform for next year’s welcome night as well if I make it in.” 

 

Downbeat performs during Welcoming Night. They sang “Little Blue” by Jacob Collier and “Don’t Be So Hard” by Jeff Glynne, showcasing the high school’s performing arts program. (Charlene Li)
Judi Abdelrazik (12) answers a question during the senior panel. The seven seniors shared their favorite lunch options, memorable events and advice for the incoming freshmen.

The event concluded with a panel of seniors — Charlotte Ludlow, Yash Sachdeva, Elie Ahluwalia, Yena Yu, Judi Abdelrazik, Brady Tse and Ruhi Banerjee — who answered questions about school life. They shared their favorite lunch options, memorable events and advice for the incoming frosh.

“I hope Welcome Night reduces anxiety because I think there’s a lot of concern about the unknown and what high school is all about,” Upper School Admissions Director Jennifer Hargreaves said. “I hope they meet other people and realize that there are good people here, and they’re going to be fine and not to worry about coming into the high school.”

 

Judi Abdelrazik (12) answers a question during the senior panel. The seven seniors shared their favorite lunch options, memorable events and advice for the incoming freshmen. (Charlene Li)
Link Crew members demonstrate the "Captain My Captain" game. On Welcome Night, they chatted with incoming frosh and introduced them to the high school.

Link Crew member Kristiyan Kurtev (11) found Welcome Night comforting when he joined the upper school and reflected on the importance of the event.

“The magic of Welcome Night is seeing in the beginning how some people are awkward, and they’re sitting on the side,” Kristiyan said. “Everybody just doesn’t want to talk to other people, but then by the end of Welcome Night, after they’ve talked to each other for two hours, everyone is in one big community, and they’re all buzzing together.”

Incoming ninth-grade students received a first glance at high school life during the annual Welcome Night at the upper school on Monday. 
Charlene Li
Parents of incoming freshmen mingle in front of RPAC during the Welcome Night event. They learned about how to prepare their children for high school.

Link Crew members demonstrate the “Captain My Captain” game. On Welcome Night, they chatted with incoming frosh and introduced them to the high school. (Charlene Li)
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