By Siddarth Tumu ’18, Middle School Editor

As you enter winter break with your exams behind you, you can’t help but have the overwhelming feeling of joy that the days of stress and late nights have finally come to an end. You have nothing to worry about, not a care in the world. You have two whole weeks in front of you to spend time with your friends and family and do whatever you want (as long as it’s within the law). As you settle into the holiday mode, you tend to think back to the first months of school and how they went. You can get quite nostalgic, thinking about the great time you’ve had with their teachers and friends. But, it’s important to not only look at the good parts of the first months, but also the parts that can be improved on.

To get a perspective as to how the Middle School has been doing so far, who better to talk to than Mr. Ashburn, the Middle School principal. Overall, he is pleased with the status of the Middle School. He is especially impressed with how the seventh grade transitioned into their busier work schedules. He is also pleased with how the sixth graders are integrating themselves into the school community and how the eight grade is effectively serving as a role model and ensuring that everybody feels welcome. Seventh graders Caiden Galvin-Scott and Joshua Gobencion agree, saying that the eight graders really make them feel welcome and are willing to share the common room with everybody. They also agree on how the seventh grade has hit them hard. “It jumps in right away, but it’s alright once you get adjusted to the workload,” says Caiden. In the interview Mr. Ashburn cited specific strengths and weaknesses of the Middle School. One of the main strengths is the connection between the students and faculty. This creates a strong school community, he says. He thinks that the main thing Middle Schoolers can improve on is to be more self-aware, and to assess how they are doing in terms of academics by being more attentive and taking care of the things they need to.

Part of what determines the success or failure of the Middle School is how the sixth grade and new seventh and eight graders transition into the school. Mr. Ashburn said that the transition was successful, with over 70 new students and a larger sixth grade than previous years. He says that the new students feel as if NA is their school. The main reason for the successful transition was the welcoming eight graders, who were inclusive and made everyone feel comfortable. Another large factor in all of this is the hard work put in by Mrs. Johnson, the Middle School office manager. She is always willing to help students in need and ensures that the Middle School is working smoothly. Without her, things would be “very ugly.”

The individual grades are working together to form an efficient Middle School, composed of people who are committed to doing their best and looking for ways to improve themselves. But some of the opportunities offered to the students are being overlooked, says Mr. Ashburn. He feels that students could utilize certain resources better, such as the ability to meet with their teachers for extra help. Mr. Caldwell, the seventh grade humanities teacher, says that the students who need the most help rarely come to see him while the students who are doing the best see him the most.  Mr. Ashburn also thinks that students could get writing help from Mr. Beckman during seventh/eight grade group.

Overall, the Middle School is progressing nicely and is poised for growth in the new year. If everybody can keep up the productive work then the Middle School can be remembered as one of the best in the years to come. To achieve this, we must remember that the success of the Middle School comes not only from personal achievement, but also from the collective work of everybody.