End of Year Interviews

The 2023-24 school year has flown by so quickly, and there is only one week left before the end of school (May 31st)! We have exceptional 8th-graders graduating who we will miss greatly and recently accepted students who are waiting to be greeted next year. For this article, I interviewed eight students from across the middle school grades and asked them how they feel about this school year and their thoughts on the next one. Without further ado, here is a summary of the interviews:

Q: How do you feel about the school year as an entirety?

For this question, everyone commented on how this year was good compared to previous ones. They said that they feel they’ve learned a lot and developed connections with many people. For example, Bruce V.W. said, “I think it was a really productive year. I feel like I got closer to a lot of people, and overall it was positive.” There were ups and downs, but it appears that everyone felt this year was worthwhile and joyful.

Q: What has been your favorite subject and why?

There were a variety of responses to this question, ranging from Art to PE. It seems the students in our school like to indulge in artistic and athletic and academic skills – no surprise there! Kelden C. said, “PE because it’s fun, and I don’t have to study for it. There’s no homework.”

“It’s really hard to choose only one subject, but I really enjoyed Biology because we did a lot of dissections and experiments,” Lilian A. stated. Zane D.E. said that his favorite subject is Digital Life because “I really like the programs that I’m using in it. It’s interesting to learn about the topics in Digital Life.”

Q: What has been your favorite lunch/activity and why?

Some interviewees' answers featured reasoning about our food’s flavors and consistency of excellence. “Grilled cheese sandwich because it’s consistently good,” said Crystal L. Hopefully, there will be similar statements about next year’s new lunch model. Favorite activities went from athletics to lunch conversations to extracurriculars. Kate W. told me, “My favorite activity is the basketball intramural tournament because I enjoy playing basketball.”

Q: What is a memory that stands out to you from this year?

This year has been very eventful, and I received a wide range of responses for this question. Some students talked about their trip to NatureBridge, while others talked about moments in class and school-wide events, such as dances. “One of my main memories was when Ms. Evans threw a book out the window to demonstrate what the word ‘defenestrate’ means,” Natalie S. said to me.

Q: How do you feel about the upcoming school year?

The students I talked with seemed excited about the next year. I received feelings of concern about homework and readiness to meet new students. Our 8th-graders are feeling good about going into high school, and I know they will be very successful. Howard Z. told me, “I’m gonna be in 8th grade, and being in 8th grade means I’m the big person, so I feel intimidated by the prospect of being in charge.” Yep, he seems very excited about next year.

To summarize, everyone appears to have had a great year. They enjoyed memories such as tailgates, outdoor trips, class activities, and sports. I hope that you’ve found statements that you resonate with and that you are looking forward to the next school year with enthusiasm!