By Siddarth Tumu

The start of a new school year is a time of excitement and anticipation. Hallways are thronged with many enthusiastic students. But among these familiar faces, there are nervous faces as well. Anxiously looking around and getting accustomed to their new school, the new students of Newark Academy are readying themselves for the coming school year.

I was interested to know how this year’s sixth grade class was transitioning into the school. Andrew Cen and Anthony Maldonado both agreed that it was easy to fit in and make friends. Anthony said that the welcome and warmth that the community gives you is a huge help in fitting in. Andrew said that he was able to make friends fairly quickly. Sophie Licostie said that her transition was smooth and quick. She found it easy to adjust to the routine but wishes that the cycle day number was posted in the middle school. All three of them, Sophie, Anthony, and Andrew, agreed that their teachers helped them in their transition by being a friend to them outside of the classroom. In addition to the good aspects of their transitioning, I wanted to know if there were any difficulties that the sixth graders faced. Spencer Wang said that the hardest part for him was the distance between each class and navigating through the crowded hallways. He also said that managing his locker was a cause of inconvenience. Ian Rzeszowski stated that the cycle days and the variation in the workload (days when there were little work and others where there were much more) was difficult to deal with. Samantha Burggraf and Samantha Keller both said that managing their time and making friends were the hardest parts. Samantha Burggraf said that the upside to her difficulties was that she could ask anyone for help. Samantha Keller said that her relationships with her teachers were a big help.

In addition to the students, I talked to some teachers about the sixth grade’s transition. Ms. Tavares, sixth grade science teacher and team leader, said that there are some students who are like ‘deer in the headlights’, not knowing what to expect, and others who are settling well and going with the flow. She thinks that the sixth grade is acclimating well and is taking an active role in becoming a member of the community. She says that there were a few shy students at first but then with events such as the Middle School Dance, was able to come out of their shell. She hopes that the sixth grade will grow into a cohesive team by the end of the year. Ms. Sparacino, sixth grade humanities teacher, says that in the beginning, many students tend to exaggerate their personalities. Then, with the feedback of their teachers, they begin to act like themselves. She says that students make friends and form groups quickly as everyone is new. The sixth grade is starting to understand the importance of school community as well, she says. Mr. Ashburn, middle school principal, said that new kids come in expecting a range of things. He gave me a story that happened several years ago,.  There was a new student whose mother would come in and organize his locker because she thought that is how things should be handled. Mr. Ashburn went on to say that there are lots of things to experience in the community and that new students faced and were overcoming some major challenges.

In all, no matter how hard or easy one found one’s transition, it was definitely filled with niceness and help from the members of the school community. The new students at NA are doing well and are now proud to be part of Newark Academy.