Hey, HMS students!!! This is Jennifer from the Hapeville Middle School Class of '07. I'm sure at least SOME of you are nervous about high school, so I’m here to tell you that high school really isn't that bad.

Last year, I wasn't looking forward to being a freshman at all, ESPECIALLY after hearing all those stories about how the upperclassmen tend to pick on the freshmen. On top of that, my only real option was Tri-Cities, and I had heard so many negative things about the school. I really had no choice but to accept the fact that I was going to go to Tri-Cities whether I liked it or not.

I thought I was going to hate being in 9th grade; however, when I went to the Tri-Cities open house and freshman orientation, my opinion changed completely. Our principal, Dr. Horton, told us about our classes being on block-schedule, which means we only have 4 classes per semester. I thought this would be easier than 8 classes and would more than likely allow me to keep my grades up. I also saw a lot of people than I knew in middle school and elementary school, and that made all the difference. Open house and orientation helped me to look forward to high school.

Now, about 10 1/2 weeks into my freshman year, everything is going great! I'm taking two core classes this semester, which are classes you need to take to graduate. They are Biology and 9th grade Literature. My other two classes are Foundations, which is a mixture of family and consumer sciences, interior design, fashion design, and culinary arts; and general P.E. As I expected, my grades have been A's and B's. On my 9 weeks report card, I received all A's for the first time since 6th grade!

The best advice I can give to you all is to relax. Don't stress out about high school because there is really nothing to worry about. Your experience will be even better if you know people there, especially upperclassmen. Just in case you don't know anyone, here are a few tips:

Well, that's all for now! “Talk” to you again soon!