By Ari Contreras-Glass and Madison James - Wednesday, January 18, 2023
The beginning of middle school is a rough time. So in return, the Wolf Press has gathered some tips such as the most recommended water fountains, and advice towards excelling in classes so students won't have to be lost in the zombie-town of 447. In most movies about teenagers, there are lots of bullies, but according to our interviewees, this is not true.
When asked about bullying, Teo Woodward, a 7th grader, said, “There were no bullies.”
Adding on, Ryan Bird stated, “Bullies were non-existent.”
Some students report having seen or experienced bullying whilst attending 447, but some have reported otherwise, a tip recommended is to stay out of conflicts and if encountered with one to steer away or report to our schools dean, Mr. Dallas.
While attending MS447, students may have noticed schoolwork is a very big concern among middle schoolers, and for good reason. But apparently, schoolwork at 447 is not extremely hard, according to students who were interviewed. Although the overall opinion is schoolwork isn’t an issue, whenever faced with trouble understanding lessons, teachers always encourage students to attend office hours, after school meetings used to study and review work they would like to make up.
A common fear among middle school students is that they will be socially excluded. When I interviewed people about this, they said that nobody was socially excluded, and they did not know of any cases of social exclusion. .
Teo said, “Nobody was socially excluded, but maybe I don’t know.”
While these interviews don’t give a full picture, people can assume that social exclusion is not prevalent. But when faced with troubles like these, lunch clubs such as sports clubs and arts clubs can be used as a place to find people with common interests, and possibly new friendships.
Surviving MS447 can be hard, constants such as bullying and loads of schoolwork can put a weight on students mental health, but whenever a student faces challenges like these, some advice recommended could be taking time for themself and/or letting their teachers know whenever a student feeling out of it so they can take a break or take a visit to their school counselor. Years at MS447 may be hard, but student’s learn to tough through, and with this guide we hope to give the newcomers a head start.