by Caroline Bartholomew ’15, Anthony Candelori-Moraglia ’16, Sophie Geagan ’18, Beth Pipes ’18, and Evan Sweitzer ’20
As the Middle and Upper School newspapers worked together on this collaborative issue, we realized that there were many things that we did not know about each other. Until now, the different parts of our school have been separated, but now we are joining together as “OneFCS” to learn and share, respectively, about life as an upper schooler from the writers and editors of FOCUS. As middle schoolers who will soon be going to upper school, we were curious to learn what the upper schoolers had to say about life in the Upper School.
SG, BP, and ES: What is the most important thing you have learned in your Upper School experience?
CB and ACM: Learning to have an open mind. There are a lot of opportunities in Upper School, so students learn to be open-minded to all of them. Even though you may think one subject is your favorite, upper school classes help us look at things from different perspectives and might totally make you change your mind! Foundations, the 9th grade science class, is definitely one of the most valuable yet challenging classes in the Upper School. Foundations is unique because yes, of course it is important to learn the material, but the most important thing is that it forces you to think outside the box and helps you to realize that you are totally capable of learning things you never thought you could! This kind of mentality you develop in 9th grade Foundations class will help you all throughout high school and beyond.
SG, BP, and ES: Was it an easy transition from the Middle School to the Upper School?
CB and ACM: Yes! The transition from Middle to Upper School is not as scary as it may seem. As 9th graders, you have two peer mentors in your homerooms who are in 11th grade, and they give you advice about classes, plan group activities, and make you feel welcome!
SG, BP, and ES: Were your expectations for high school fulfilled? Is high school what you expected it to be?
CB and ACM: Going into high school, I didn’t really know what to think. However, I have found that it is a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. Right now, if you’re scared of going to high school because of the way it is portrayed in movies and TV shows–don’t worry! Everyone is kind, and the teachers truly care about you. You have more opportunities to meet people in different grades, and even make new friends in your own grade. There are also many more opportunities to pursue your interests, whether they be academics, the arts, or athletics.