As the second month of school begins, I have noticed a lot of differences between this year and last year. Currently I’m in eighth grade, and this is my first year in FPM where I can get the full experience. Coming from sixth grade, where I was only in school for half the year and had socially distanced and virtual graduations, I wondered what it would be like in FPM. Another 8th grader named Isabella Czap wrote, “The last two years we didn’t have that much social activities and school was remote. We didn’t get to switch classes, we had to stay in one classroom all day.”

After hearing that we were switching classes, I was really nervous about what would happen. I hadn’t actually been in a crowded school in two years! It took a lot of adjusting, and the first week was pretty challenging. All I really knew was one way hallways, so I also had to get from class to class in four minutes. It was a rough transition at first, but I eventually got the hang of it. This year is starting out much better, and many 8th graders are getting the hang of maneuvering around the normal FPM schedule.

Samantha Tavolacci, another 8th grader says, “I like this year better because last year I was remote and I couldn’t be with my friends. Also, I love having lockers.”

So far, this year has been very different from what I’ve been used to the past two years, but it’s a lot of fun and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the year compares!