Second Semester Scholars!
After a long awaited winter break, Saugus High School students came back January 13th to begin a whole new semester! Following this return, students have entered a new year — 2025. New resolutions, goals, and plans for the school year have flooded teens’ minds. Although it is no surprise that the Saugus students work hard to keep their grades up, two students – Annabelle Morton and Sophie McFarren – were willing to share their second semester goals. These two student athletes are involved in Saugus’ competitive dance team and have maintained high GPAs throughout their first semester of sophomore year.
Beginning this inspiring interview, Sophomore, Annabelle Morton is committed to keeping her straight As this semester. Morton’s biggest academic goal is, “Staying on top of all my assignments and perfecting my time management!” Being an efficient student and paying attention to important due dates for homework has to become a habit in order to be a scholar. Putting in 100% effort at all times while in class is crucial so when students and especially the athletes, like Annabelle, go to competitions, they can easily plan to get their work done and turn it in on time. Not every new semester goal will be academically related because high schoolers are very busy outside of school, so Morton comments her goal of, “Winning multiple national titles,” for dance team and “Having gratitude for everything God gifted me,” in her faith.
The second semester can be extremely stressful, as teachers begin teaching their final lessons and possibly even challenging their students even more with the curriculum they have been learning. Although Morton will be busy with dance competitions each weekend, she is still determined to overcome any academic challenges with an efficient method, “I’m not going to procrastinate. I’m going to make a work plan for every week finding time between school and dance to finish homework and studying.” As an underclassman, Saugus educators still make it a priority to make each class positively challenging in some way — not to stress out the scholars, but instead to teach them methods like time management and close listening very quickly.
Following Annabelle’s incredible new goals for her last semester of sophomore year, Sophie McFarren also speaks about her greatest aspirations for her academics and life within these next five months. Every student wants to gain great grades, and Sophie is a scholar that values her GPA to a great extent, “My biggest academic goal for this semester finishing sophomore year is to try to maintain straight A’s.”
Like Morton, McFarren is very passionate about her role on the school’s competitive dance team! Wholesomely she comments, “My biggest goal for dance this semester is to keep my positive energy up even when I get tired and to win a national title with my team.” Being a hard worker will always stem from school, then branch out into every hobby and action one performs — Sophie holds herself to great standards because she has enough confidence in herself to know her potential. Even though this young girl is very smart, she will become interfered with academic obstacles, because how could a student be a true scholar without falling down a few times? McFarren wisly responds to overcoming her challenges by, “Staying present and not procrastinating my work.” Seeing all students from each grade putting in their best effort to gain amazing grades from the many teachers on campus shows how hard working the Saugus scholars continue to be.
In conclusion these two sophomore, student athletes have amazing goals to reach for this new semester. Next year they will transition to upperclassmen status and experience a whole new world of education and social life. Morton excitedly comments, “ I’m most excited for prom and all the experiences as an upperclassman,” while McFarren adds, “I’m most excited for getting upper class experiences during junior year like being able to go to prom and to take more rigorous courses.” All of Saugus’ students are second semester scholars, which helps a teacher’s job become more enjoyable to experience because they have students who genuinely care about their grades, like Annabelle and Sophie.
