by Julie Gowel ·
Friday, August 23, 2024
Next week, kids in Harvard will go back to school, but for some, “back” is a misnomer. Students transitioning from Hildreth Elementary School to the Bromfield School say there is no back, only forward. It took them six years to become the oldest and wisest at Hildreth, and they will begin that journey anew for another six years at Bromfield.
The Harvard Public Schools have made many changes over the past few years to help ease students into the move across Mass. Ave. For starters, making the distinction between the middle school and the high school in both name and administration helped ease kids into their next phase of academia. Last year, a colorful mural was added to the entrance of the grade 6 wing, reminiscent of the elementary school walls, to further differentiate between the high school and middle school. Additionally, Bromfield provides many tours and activities for the incoming class to familiarize them with the school before the first day.
Eric Suchecki. (Courtesy photos)
Zoe Crochiere.
Camden Begin.
To better understand how students feel about making the move from Hildreth to Bromfield, the Press interviewed three incoming sixth-graders to learn about the transition from elementary to middle school.
Eric Suchecki has a bit of an advantage when it comes to entering Bromfield: He has an older brother in the school to help him learn the ropes. Still, he’s a bit unsure of the locker situation, having heard the lockers are hard to open and close and that remembering the combination can be tricky. One of the things Eric is looking forward to is the freedom that comes in middle school. “There’s a lot more independence,” he said. “You have to know what you are doing. There’s not always someone telling you what to do.” Eric is an athlete, looking forward to playing soccer and baseball and running cross-country.
Zoe Crochiere, a history buff, is looking forward to having more variety in her classes and, like Eric, is excited about the access to sports. “I’m really excited to play for Bromfield,” Zoe said of her two favorite sports, soccer and basketball. “I want to play for [junior varsity] and varsity.” Like Eric, Zoe has an older brother at Bromfield so she has an idea of what’s in store. She is a bit nervous about having more homework and harder classes, but overall, she’s looking forward to digging into her favorite subject, World War II, meeting the teachers, and enjoying the cafeteria food, which she has heard is better than what is provided at Hildreth.
Camden Begin, the oldest of four siblings in his family, was relaxed about his move to Bromfield. “When you’re in elementary school, you feel a lot bigger than other people,” he said. “The thing about sixth grade is that you’re going to be the smallest grade in the school. You’re going to be looking up to other people. [You will] learn to be more responsible and become a better person, grow up.” While he may not have an older brother or sister to guide him, he does have a friend who told him that going from a “good/needs improvement” grading system to earning letter grades can be stressful, but Camden isn’t all that concerned.
All three students expressed more excitement than trepidation when talking about their move from elementary to middle school. Access to a broader range of subjects, sports, and independence was a common theme among the rising Trojans.
Grace Chai contributed to this story.