Are 8th Graders Prepared For High school: Student Opinions

Due to online distance learning and Covid-19, the upcoming freshman class had to learn about high school through a computer screen. Here are their thoughts:

Ryan Rodriguez, an 8th grader at Green Acres Middle School, says his 8th grade year “will definitely stand out from the rest and [is] a year to remember.” Some difficulties Rodriguez has faced is not being able to “pay attention in class and keeping up with all [his] assignments.” For the upcoming school year, Rodriguez is concerned about “managing all [his] work in an efficient way [and being] aware of [his] grades at all times.”

Rodriguez says, “Teachers do so much for us and I think I can speak for a lot of people and say thank you.” The teachers have “given [them] less work and study guides to prepare for the subjects in high school.” They also, “[take] more time of their day to help [the students] when [they] need it.” Rodriguez has “mixed emotions” about how prepared he is for high school. He says, “For the most part, I am prepared… and I am ready for harder classes.”

Marileigh Coon, another 8th grader at Green Acres Middle School, says her 8th grade year has had “its ups and downs”. The hardest part for her has been having “to learn things on [her] own.” Which can be “stressful at times” to find “strings of motivation to do things.” Coon says, “she is mostly excited to come to high school” and is looking forward to hopefully coming back to school soon.

She says the teachers have been “preparing [them] with the standards that [the students] need to know for high school”. “There is a lot to take in, but I am ready to come to Redwood,” Coon says.