It's an exciting yet intimidating time for the incoming 6th graders at schools around Long Beach. Wednesday, Rogers Middle School held a practice run for the new members of the Rogers family, the incoming 6th graders.
I can't remember what it was like at that age, even if I could remember that far back. I went to an all-girls Catholic school in Trinidad, which aligned itself with the British education system. We were entering Form 1, instead of 6th Grade. I'm sure I was just as intimidated.
The system is different from elementary school. The new Rogers principal, Kim Holland, knows that it's better to show them how it works, when you can have them all together. This way they can see familiar faces in a jumble of a few hundred in a single grade. They can practise going from one class to the other in an orderly fashion.
Ms Holland is the new Principal and Mr. Scott Fleming, the Assistant Principal know that the parents need coaching too. Words about forgotten lunches and attendance, introductions to the new names that will be key in their childrens' lives. Tips on tracking their childrens' new teachers. Plural. So many new faces to remember!
The secret? It's a small world. Ms. Holland has been in education in LBUSD for over 24 years. Her first teaching position in a classroom at Bancroft Middle School was attended by a student who is now a very special teacher to Rogers Middle School. You see, our very own Mr. Hamilton, amazingly popular Music teacher at Rogers, was in Ms. Holland's first class.
Yes, indeed. It's a small world, Long Beach.
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Trish Tsoiasue writes about community, creatives and maker topics for and, as Handmade Penguin, for the Handmade Penguin Blog. She is currently playing .
