The Student News Site of the Latin School of Chicago

The Forum

The Student News Site of the Latin School of Chicago

The Forum

The Student News Site of the Latin School of Chicago

The Forum

A Reflection of the Year

Clare Hardiman Coming from Latin’s Middle School, starting high school here felt like a bigger adjustment for a few reasons. First of all, the independence high school students at Latin experience is significantly more than in middle school. We’re allowed to go off campus, wander around by ourselves, and manage our own time. Secondly, the number of students in my grade nearly doubled this year. Even though there is less than 130 kids in my grade, it felt huge to me coming from a grade comprised of under 100 students. Although the transition to high school might have been a little different for kids coming from other middle schools, many freshman still adjusted quickly to the new atmosphere at Latin. However, now that it’s May and my freshman year is coming to a close, it’s hard to believe how fast time has passed! My year has been full of highs and lows, stress, and tears (just a few) and joy. Through all of our sleepless nights, exhausting sports games, and endless studying, it is hard to believe all of it’s almost over. This year felt like a blur, and now there is less than a month left. For freshmen, this means there’s still three more grueling years left in store, while for seniors, this means finding bigger and better opportunities. I’ve experienced many “firsts” during the 2016-2017 school year and even though it’s not over, I’m already looking forward to new experiences in the coming years of high school. I still remember my first new friend, my first class, my first test my first sports game, and my first midterm. Just like me, freshman year for Madelyn Hill “has been filled with many new experiences…I joined the golf team, robotics team, and now the track team. Between these activities and my amazing project week, I have met many great people who share similar interests.” As for new freshman Eriko Darcy, “The beginning of the year was definitely challenging because I was new to the school and didn’t know anyone either. But at the same time, it was exciting to be in a new environment with new people and different opportunities.” In my experience, freshman year has taught me some important life skills like learning how to present a speech and talk in front of an audience, complete complex math problems, properly analyze a passage, solve for resistance or velocity, and most importantly, how to always look on the positive side. Whether it’s a disappointing test score or simply just feeling terrible, everyone has their grumpy days. For junior Liza Kanieski, “this year has been really challenging academically, and something I learned was how important it is to have a support system and not be afraid to reach out for help!” Just like Liza, my year has been challenging; however, when I feel upset, I now know that it’s okay to stay upset for a little while as long as I eventually move on. Going into high school, kids build up a stigma that they need perfect grades and a spot on the varsity sports team, but in reality (even though all of that matters to some extent) high school is about enjoying the ride, appreciating your teachers, and learning something new everyday.  For Eriko, “As the year went on, I made some very close friends and became much more comfortable with the people around me. I was able to learn so much from my peers and teachers, and they were all so welcoming! I’m excited to see what next year brings.” If we walk out of this school looking forward to the positive aspects of life just like Eriko, then Latin has taught us well.]]>

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The Student News Site of the Latin School of Chicago
A Reflection of the Year