5th Graders in Welsh Valley

As a lot of people know, 5th graders were moved to Welsh Valley this year, and a whole new school was made. It was a lot of new changes to happen in one year, and a lot of fifth graders felt that. One second, you’re in the old school, using cubbies and only having one teacher. The next second, you’re thrust into middle school, with lockers, giant buildings, and lots of people older and way taller than you. Here are some reasons that the change to Welsh Valley was a good change, followed by why it was a bad choice. But really, what do you think?

 Why it’s a Good Choice:

1. First of all, the experience. I remember that on the first day of school, I was awed by this big school. I had to be more responsible, more organized. Even though it was a year early, I did it! It helped me figure out what middle school really is like, not what books or movies tell me. 
2. Second, siblings. Some people were able to hang out with their brothers and sisters more than they would’ve been if they came a year after. Take me, for example. If I hadn’t come a year early, my brother wouldn’t be in school. He’d be in high school, but then how would I know the school, the clubs, and the teachers? I know that many kids are only children, and they get along just fine, but my brother helped me a lot. He made my life much easier. 
3. Finally, it’s fun! It was pretty enjoyable to come to middle school. I felt– don’t laugh at me– a little bit more grown up. I came from Belmont Hills, a tiny school with only one compact building. It’s practically portable. The tallest kids are 5 foot six, and the smallest are 3 foot six. Then you come into this big school. The tallest kids here are 6 foot six. 

Well, for every good thing there is a bad thing. So here are some reasons why it might’ve had some consequences. 

Why it Might Be a Bad Thing:

1. First, not getting to be on top of the school. Now, another aspect of this middle school situation is, before, 5th graders were the top of school, the apex of the pyramid. Then, when we graduated, we got thrown down to the bottom of the heap. It was kind of annoying to be back at square one, with people older than you looking down at you just like kindergarten. 
2. Next, the transition. To get us ready for middle school, they kind of trained us the first few days, but after that it was kind of confusing. In fifth grade at the elementary schools, they got a “tutorial” of middle school, with “lockers” (basically cubbies with doors) and different teachers for Math and ELA. I think they were more lucky than us in that department. I mean, you don’t train astronauts to go to space in space, right?
3. Last but not least, COVID-19. This is more of a good news-bad news one, but I put it in bad anyway. Since it’s such a big school, there is more spreading of Covid, and there’s been a lot of cases at schools, including ours. COVID is very annoying, and making the school bigger makes the spread bigger. True, we do rotate classes more, but that just makes the people with it more likely to spread it to more people. 

So those are the reasons why going to middle school a bit early is a complicated change. It had good aspects, like seeing middle school for yourself instead of through other people. It also has bad aspects, like not being able to experience 5th grade in elementary school and finally be on top of your school. But all in all, I think that we can deal with it just fine.  

By: Ella Scott