Monday, August 30, 2021

Middle School

 William is headed to middle school this year. The school is over the bridge from our house, on the other side of the Conewango Creek. To put it mildly, William is concerned about this change, because this year, WILLIAM. HAS. TO. CHANGE. CLASSROOMS. 


The school was built in during the Great Depression, with a government grant for the school. It provided local craftsmen with paying jobs. and it is as amazing inside as it is outside. We've been using the school's appearance in our encouraging talks with William. "I'll bet you feel just as nervous as Harry Potter did on his first day at Hogwarts!" Which led us off on a whole 'nuther tangent: 'Do you suppose there are ghosts there? That would be cool if it were haunted!' 

He looked quite cheered at the thought. 

We buy William a pair of sneakers every year at the beginning of the the school year. It's a tradition, I guess. So after church, I took him to our house and we waited for Grandpa to get home. 

"I wish summer wasn't over," he mourned. 

I told him I remembered feeling the exact same way. I didn't mention that I felt that way because I always forgot how to do division, and I was terrified that of walking into a classroom and having my secret discovered. What if that was written down on my PERMANENT RECORD???

We went out to lunch together and ate in a completely empty dining room. We had tacos and William was proving his manhood by dumping hot sauce on his. He ate two of them while sneering, "This isn't even HOT!!!" 

(He drank two lemonades for no particular reason, I guess.)

He said, "I can even eat a jalapeno!" in a nonchalant way. 

That's quite a man being sent off to middle school. I certainly hope they're ready for him.

After some amount of waffling, these are the sneakers he selected.  
His does not have a velcro strap. That would be baby-ish, and we surely can't have that. As it went from the children's sizes to youth sizes, the strap just disappeared, luckily. 

It's hard to believe he's so grown up. 


16 comments:

  1. I bet he has a whale of a time at his new school. It certainly looks like a grand building.

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  2. I work at a middle school. He will be fine! Teachers and staff are used to looking out for nervous new kids, and I'm sure he'll be a pro at changing classes by the end of the week. Cool shoes, too!

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  3. He will go down well with those hideous sneakers. I remember how scary it was going from primary to secondary school. I think I can remember how to do long division but I haven't done it since calculators arrived. I hope student time is not wasted now by teaching long division. Who needs to know it when you can quickly do with your phone?

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  4. We don't have middle school here - so Jos is set to go to High School next January. She is being very brave about it but I know the girl - watch for some sleepless nights in the next four months...

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  5. He certainly will not lose his feet in the dark.

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  6. I tried to imagine being allowed to wear what we call trainers in my school days. Regulation black lace-ups, well polished each morning.

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  7. And that is why he loved them.

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  8. Well, tell William that I spent 28 years in a middle school! I was a teacher and enjoyed my time and would do it all over again in a heartbeat. It should only take a day to get used to things. All the other gr sevens are in the same boat. I wish him luck. I know he'll have fun.

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    Replies
    1. Here, middle school is grades 5 through 8.

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  9. That is a beautiful building. I would also be intimidated (and was, many years ago). Best of luck to him.

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  10. That’s a very cool pair of sneakers. I wish the younger kids could be vaccinated. It is a very wonderful looking school.

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  11. I do too, Kay. Here, masking isn't even required.

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  12. OK, those ARE super-cool shoes! I kind of want a pair myself!

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