EASTERN WAKE COUNTY - Colleges have been doing it for years; now many high schools are offering some type of freshman orientation or freshman camp to help prepare incoming ninth graders for high school. The concept works, administrators say.

Knightdale High School held Freshmen Camp in early August this year. Assistant principal Brad Walston, who organized camp this year, said feedback from students and parents was "phenomenal."

One parent told him he'd had children in other schools and wished those schools had offered similar events when his kids were freshmen.

Knightdale High has offered freshman camp for the last six years. "We had a great turnout," Walston said, estimating about half of expected freshmen attended, along with nearly 200 parents.

The four-hour event introduced freshmen and their parents to teachers, and school club opportunities, as well as members of student government and the school athletic program. Students received their class schedules and learned about career and technical education opportunities.

After participants were split into parent and student groups, moms and dads were given tips on helping their teens succeed from a KHS teacher who is also a parent. They met members of the school's Freshman Leadership Academy, and were introduced to the school web site and various online resources.

The event included a campus tour, to let families know where to find everything. Camp concluded with a pizza lunch.

One of the benefits of freshmen camp is that it opens communication between the school and parents, and lets parents know where to find pertinent information, Walston said. "And the kids really enjoy it."

Mike James, assistant principal at the School of Arts, Education and Global Studies at East Wake High School, has put together his school's Freshman Orientation, scheduled for Aug. 18.

The School of Arts, Education and Global studies expects a little more than 100 freshmen this year. "If we get 60 to 70 kids, that will be absolutely fantastic," James said.

This is the first time the School of Arts has offered freshman orientation in the evening, and James said he hopes the time change will allow more families to attend.

The two-hour session will include plenty of practical information, ranging from a review of ninth-grade promotion requirements to information about career pathways.

Students will receive tips on how to navigate high school from older students and teachers, and hear from parents of rising sophomores, he said.

Speakers from the athletic department will also talk about balancing sports and schoolwork.

Participants will be sent home withgoody bags full of items including T-shirts, and the evening will conclude with a hot dog dinner on the patio.

The idea behind freshman orientation is not only to givefamilies information, but to encourage parents to be "partners in their child's education," James said.

The message for ninth graders, he said, is one of welcome."We want them to be nurtured and taken care of" before school even starts, he said.

Knightdale High School has scheduled an Open House for 1-4 p.m. Aug. 23. KHS ninth-graders who missed Freshmen Camp are encouraged to attend, but the event is open to all students and parents.