Today I graduated from middle school at MS 51. It has been an amazing three years full of experiences that not only will I never forgot, but that have made the moment spectacular.
51 wasn't my first choice. I was actually going to go to this school called Quest to Learn in the city that primarily focused on creating with technology. But after I submitted my application, I realized that I wanted to go to 51. It was close, my friends were going there. So I switched my ranking on the application. And I got in!
I have to say, though: when I toured 51 I wasn't super impressed. And throughout the three years I have had quite a few awful teachers. But regardless of that, I have still had such a brilliant time.
Drama was definitely one of the high lights of my experience. From juggling to playwriting to shakespeare to musicals to plays to monologues to improvisation, I have learned more in drama that from any other subject. I've always been a natural performer; someone eager to be on stage and entertain. But drama at 51 has accentuated my abilities and given me a tremendous amount of skill, courage, experience, ability, and happiness.
Advanced math in 7th and 8th grade has been pretty great. I really learned that math is a natural language to me; it comes easily and it simply makes sense in my mind, and it's something that I will really enjoy. I think I want to go further somehow in math because it is something that is so logically pristine that it's eye-opening to me.
Advanced science this year made up for the flatness of 6th and 7th grade science. My teacher, Ms. Saka, is so passionate and determined in her field and I learned so, so much. I took the "Living Environment" course that is designed for 9th graders but it is an advanced class at 51. I've finally gotten a sturdy, strong grip on the concept of science and living things and the way life is built, and that will definitely help me forever.
ELA was honestly pretty terrible, all three years. I haven't loved my teachers and the curriculum has been really poor and boring and pointless...
French: 6th grade french with Madame DeWever was fantastic. I learned so much in just that first year of second language. But from there, it sort of went totally down hill. The teachers just weren't so passionate and precise and I truly learned nothing after that first year.
Social studies-eh. This year I had Ms. Maier, who is absolutely the worst teacher ever, BUT she has super cool style and is really funny and told us lots of totally random stories! She just got so distracted and off topic all the time that social studies just ended up being a total waste. 6th and 7th grade social studies was pretty okay though; both teachers were extremely devoted and I admired that.
But it's hard to be a teacher, at least from what I can tell. Especially as we got older, some of the kids just begin to not care and go crazy in class, and it's hard to deal with that. But I had a pretty great class this year. Some of the kids were INSANE; they would literally twerk and dance and yell and throw random stuff everywhere everyday during project real, which is the 20 minute "reading" period we have in homeroom after lunch every day. But it was funny and I was happy and I made some of the best friends I have ever had.
It all started on the first day of school when we had to chose seats in homeroom. My table ended up being Asia, Amber, Lily, me, Maya, and Jolene. Maya and Jolene were already friends, and they were also friends with Anjali, whom Amber and Lily were also friends with. I knew Asia from 2nd grade and Amber from 5th, and Lily went o 321 like me. And it all just sorta happened. We talked a lot and started texted each other and I started to eat lunch with them sometimes and I entered their group! Anjali and Paula were also part of the group although they weren't in our class.
And just, I have laughed like CRAZY with these people. We've made endless inside jokes, have gone on so many fun trips, have cried together, mourned together, hung out together, tell stories together, made memories together, sleepovers. Lily was one of my closest friends; we were kind of "Lily & Lola" as a pair and we made an unstoppable team! I don't know how I'm going to survive without her in high school. It's hard to believe we've only been friends for a year because I feel like I know all of them so incredibly well, and I've never gotten bored with them because each moment has been precious and awesome and fun and amazing. They are such a cool group of kids and each and every one of us brings something special to the table.
Today was a really fantastic day. I got to Grand Prospect Hall, the same place where we had prom, at 9am, and put on my blue graduation cap and gown and met my friends inside. We lined up and entered and had this huge ceremony and each student camp up and shook the principals hand a got a flower. After, I took a bunch of photos and then met my friends with my family at this beer garden. We hung out and talked with everyone and it was really fun and sad and sweet.
And then Ms. Bosco came over to us and told me that I had gotten into BARD manhattan! And that just topped my day. I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so incredibly, insanely happy! That was the best news. Now I don't have to worry all summer about where exactly I'm going to high school. AH I'm so happy.
It has been one of the bestest, fullest years of my life. I am so happy and thankful for my friends and family, proud of them, proud of myself. It's really been awesome. I cannot believe that it's over. I only really have four more years left until I have to really start building my own life. But I have had an extraordinary life, and I know that the experiences will only continue to be fantastic.
Ah.
