The seventh and eighth graders embarked upon a new adventure during the 2021 school year. The students transitioned from Poland Middle School into Poland Seminary High School. For many of the middle school students, the changeover was daunting in the beginning. They are now required to share a school with students up to 5 years older than them, relocate into a new setting, and leave behind everything they know and love. Maya Anzevino, an eighth grade student, gives insight into her transition to PSHS. 

To begin, she recollects the night leading up to the first day of high school. She explains that she was conflicted with sentiments of apprehension going into the first day. 

She said, “On my first day at the junior-senior high school, I was really apprehensive; I felt like I did not belong there. Going into the first day, I did not even sleep at night; I had no idea what to expect.” 

Proceeding, she reminisces on what her first day at PSJSHS was like. Initially, she did not know what to expect. However, with the passage of time, she concludes that the transition was not as challenging as she had anticipated. 

She noted, “At first, I was really nervous; however, as day 1 and the first week passed, I realized it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I saw the people in my classes, and it significantly reduced the amount of fear I felt.”  

Something she missed about being in the middle school was “… having a bigger space, a bigger lunch room, bigger lockers, and overall, a bigger school.” 

In addition, she notes that the aura and overall ambiance of the middle school were more captivating. She juxtaposes the setting of Poland Middle School with Poland High School. 

She contrasts, “The overall atmosphere of the middle school was more visually appealing. The colors here are browner, as compared to the middle school, which contained more blues. The dreary colors gave off a gloomy impression.” 

In particular, a component she enjoys about the high school is “…the new classes offered. I like that we have more leeway with scheduling. Classes such as fashion, cooking, and intro to art are now available.” 

Following that, she says the rules at PSHS are stricter than the rules at PMS. Many of the things she used to do or wear at the middle school are prohibited here. Consequently, she had to undergo an adjustment period to get used to the way we operate. 

She added, “They are way stricter with the dress code. Leggings and ripped jeans are forbidden as well as sweatpants with the exception of Fridays. Also, they crack down on phones way more here. With both schools, you have to follow and respect a given list of rules, but the rules are much stricter than what I am used to. It took a little bit of an adjustment to get used to the way they do things here.” 

Furthermore, she feels that sharing a school with older students can be intimidating; however, she particularly likes sharing a school with me. 

She emphasized, “Sharing a school with kids who are much older than me can be a little intimidating; I feel little compared to the older kids. I do like sharing a school with my sister though.” 

In terms of difficulty, she feels the workload and courses are pretty much equivalent. Similarly, she obtained the same GPA as she did in middle school. 

After careful deliberation, she commented, “I was nervous they were going to do things differently once I got to the high school, which would cause me to not get straight A’s anymore. So far, I have maintained my grades. Most of my classes are the same level of difficulty.” 

On a final note, she concludes that although the transition to high school was not ideal, it has had some positive aspects. 

Upon reflection, she said, “I would probably rather be at the middle school, but it has not been nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. At least, I will know where everything is next year when I am a freshman!”