Photo Credit Tim Kiesling

Freshmen have an ongoing tradition every school year since long before 2007- visiting the middle school. Is it the atmosphere, the friendly staff, or the cafeteria food that draws them in? That may or may not affect their reason to go back, but the most common cause is they miss their former 7th grade, now 8th grade, friends.

September 15, 2014 there was yet another announcement telling high school students they cannot visit Ashland Middle School’s campus before 3:30pm. Dean of  Students, Russ Johnson says, “Teachers love seeing former students, but we must respect that each campus has different rules.” Ashland High School students have many excuses to be on the middle school’s campus such as helping in the language and band department. Freshman Kaelin Rodriguez visits the middle school every white day after school to pick up her little sister. No matter what the reason, students must sign in the main office of that campus and state their intention.      In 2009-10, high school students visiting the middle school campus was so common they had a designated spot for freshmen called “9th grade Island”. Stephen Retzlaff, AMS Principle says, “We used to say ‘No you can’t come back. You’ve already graduated’ but that seemed wrong so we changed that about 5 or 6 years ago”. In early years Retzlaff said there were sometimes 20-25 high school students on campus at a time. Already nervous 6th grade parents were uncomfortable with the fact of having high schoolers on campus during school hours. For the benefit of everyone please restrain from going to the middle school until after 3:30.