Jordan, 2nd grade, 8 years old



Jordan, 2nd grade, 8 years old

You are happy to be returning to school from summer break. You don’t have a lot of friends, no siblings, and your parents work long hours. You didn’t go anywhere over the summer and wish you had. You are hoping to meet some new friends this year.

Devin, 5th grade, 12 years old

This is your second time in the 5th grade. You are upset that you are not with your peers in middle school. You have a feeling that you will act out because you are so angry about failing. You feel stupid but instead of trying harder, feel like giving up.

Nathan, 3rd grade, 8 years old

You are not thrilled to be back at school. School hurts. The kids call you names like “FATSO” and “WIDE LOAD”. You know you have a weight problem but the frustration of always being picked on only makes you want to eat more. Over the summer, you went to a special camp and lost some weight. Although, it wasn’t a whole lot, it’s a start and you are really hoping someone notices and says something positive.

Alessandra, 4th, 9 years old

You love school and are so excited to share the great books you read over the summer with your new teacher. You are hoping she and will be as great as Mr.Hill who you had last year. Guy teachers are cool! You got glasses over the summer and are really nervous about using them for the first time in class. You hope no one notices or calls attention to them.

Hunter, 2nd grade, 8 years old

This is a new school for you. This will be the forth one since Kinder. You are always getting into trouble and being shuffled from parents to grandparents…you feel like no one really wants you. You witnessed some bad stuff when you were a kid and you want to tell someone but you are scared your parents will get into trouble if you do. You can’t get it out of your mind. You have nightmares too which is why you always look tired.

Ashlynn, 5th, 11 years old

Finally, you are a 5th grader. You are so excited to be the in oldest class on campus. You hope to be a patrol this year and you plan to run for Student Council. You are also excited because you mom’s boyfriend moved in over the summer with his two kids. You hope that you can still find a quiet place to study.

Cierra, 9th, 16 years old

You are in the ninth grade again. You were lacking just a few credits. Ugggh! You know you have to stop getting into fights and getting suspended. You always seem to fight with the same girl: Cynthia. Hopefully, she’s not in this class. If she is, you don’t know what will happen but you’re not scared.

Cynthia, 9th, 15 years old

You are not happy school has started again. You loved sleeping in till 2 and staying up all night with your friends. All your friends say they are betting that you and Cierra will fight again the first week of school, like you did last year. She better not be in this class.

Jeremy, 8th, 13 years old

You are feeling strong. Football practice has you feeling good and you know you have to keep your grades up if you want to make the high school team next year. Coaches say that you have the potential to make JV your freshman year with your ability…just have to keep the grades up. Pressure is on.

Briana, 7th, 12 years old

You love the start of a new year…new teachers and a new schedule. You hope to try out for cheerleader this year. You spent all summer practicing gymnastics. This is your year, you can feel it. Hopefully, you like all your teachers. Your parents are both teachers too.

Richard, 6th, 11 years old

You are not happy about school starting up again. You have Tourette Syndrome and its really embarrassing getting to know a whole new set of teachers. Most of the kids from your old elementary know, but what about the other elementary kids who come to this middle school that you have never met? (Sigh…here we go again.)

Tavon, 8th, 13 years old

Over the summer, your parents split up. It looks like its going to be for good this time which means divorce…which means custody battle. You are happy in a way because you don’t have to witness all the arguments and fighting but you are worried that your mom is going to be really sad and won’t recover. It looks like you are going to have to be the man of the house now and take care of your two little brothers more than you already were.

Sergio, 9th, 14 years old

You really enjoy being in school in the states. You were adopted from a Russian orphanage when you were 9 and have had a really hard time adjusting to your new family and American life in the last 5 years. Things are getting better but sometimes you want to run away for fear that your new family will leave you. You suffered a lot of trauma when you were young and you think about where in the world your siblings are. The last time you saw them was when you were 9 and have no information about where they are and if they are safe.

Luke, 7th, 12 years old

You have Autism, specifically Aspergers. Everyone thinks you are really smart and kind of weird, especially when you rock back and forth and erase a lot. No one knows other than your teachers and you hope your secret doesn’t come out.

Raven, 2nd grade, 7 years old

You were just placed with a new foster family over the summer. They seem nice so far. They are strict though. You are hoping that your grades go up this year and you can get Honor Roll just once. Maybe they would adopt you if they saw you could make good grades.

Natalie, 11th grade, 16 years old

You hope to get your drivers license this year. You make really good grades and have supportive parents who encourage you to always do your best. They also check your grades on-line all the time. You wish they would trust you more. You’ve given them no reason not to.

Alyssa, 8th grade, 13 years old

You did some bad stuff over the summer and experimented with drugs for the first time. These new kids moved onto your street and offered you some stuff and you tried it. You feel bad about it but still want to do it again. You can’t believe this is how your school year is going to start. How can you even focus on school when your mind is elsewhere and you are always depressed?

Jorge, 6th grade, 11 years old

You don’t speak English very well. Spanish is your native language and you hope you can survive middle school. I hope the teachers speak slowly and don’t call on me to read. You are in regular classes but then you go to ESL classes for support. Hopefully, the teachers are as good as the ones at your elementary school.

Theresa, 11th grade, 16 years old

You are happy with your schedule. Teachers seem to have a good reputation. They don’t give a lot of homework. You want to change one of your classes to AP but that won’t work with your new job….Papa John’s after school every other night. You need the money. You see your parents struggling and don’t want to keep asking them for money.

Ashley, 1st grade, 6 years old

You are really scared to be in first grade. You liked Kinder but are not sure you will do well in first. You hope to learn how to write sentences this year. You heard that your new teacher has a treasure box. That makes you kinda want to do well to see what is in it.

Alexis, 3rd grade, 8 years old

This is a new school for you and a new state for that matter. You moved here from California. You have no friends yet. Will everyone look at you like you are different? Hopefully, you can meet someone who has visited or lived in California. Then you can share stories at lunch time.

Josh, 12th grade, 17 years old

Oh yeah, SENIORS baby! You are so happy to be a Senior. You are in ROTC and plan to join the army after you graduate…just like your dad did. Your dad expects nothing but A’s this year.

Lisa, 7th grade, 12 years old

You are happy to be able to take Art this year as an elective. You want to be an artist. You hope you get to do a lot of cool art projects and learn different mediums. If you are lucky, some of your other teachers will let you do art in their class too somehow.

Tiffany, 4th grade, 9 years old

You have been practicing your violin all summer. Your mom says you are much better than last year. You hope to make it into the Fall Concert. Your brother makes fun of you for playing an instrument. He’s the same age as you and doesn’t even talk to you at school. Maybe this year he will but you doubt it.

Scott, 6th grade, 11 years old

You are so happy to know that Jennifer is going to be in two of your classes. You think she is so pretty. Hopefully, the teachers will let you sit near her. She doesn’t even know you exist but you plan to get her to notice you this year.

Jennifer, 6th grade, 11 years old

You are so excited to finally be in middle school. The cutest boys are in 8th grade. You and your friends plan to go to a lot of football and basketball games to see who the cutest boy on campus is. Then, one of you has to try and talk to him. You are hoping it is you but Mom and Dad can’t find out. They don’t even let you talk on the phone.

Brad, 10th grade, 16 years old

School is beginning and you just bought some new threads. You are feeling pretty confident. Two of your friends from last year dropped out. You are not looking forward to finding a new crowd to hang with.

Omar, 8th grade, 13 years old

You like learning but a lot of your friends make fun of you because you raise your hand a lot in class and ask a lot of questions. You make all A’s without much effort. You actually tutor your older brother who is in 9th grade. How weird is that? Your mom says you can be whatever you want to be in life.

Jessica, 3rd grade, 8 years old

You live with your grandmother because mom says she can take care of you better right now. You want to be back with your mom but you have no control over it. Now, all you have to do is stay out of trouble and out of the principal’s office. Maybe, mom will have you back if you can prove you can be good.

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