the grade
fresh start
Dear American Girl,
I’m starting middle school and I’m
completely scared. It’s going to be
so different from elementary school.
How am I going to survive?
Scared
Starting middle school might feel like the scariest thing in the world
to you right now. But try to think of middle school as an awesome
opportunity. New teachers and new kids mean you can arrive on the
first day a new you! Have you always wanted to grow out your bangs?
Do you think you look more like a Katharine than a Katie? Did you ever
want to learn to write poetry? Now’s your chance. You can change your
style, change your favorite subject, or maybe just change your attitude.
Making new friends and branching out from the same kids you’ve played
with since kindergarten isn’t such a bad thing. It’s like breaking in a new
pair of shoes. They might feel a little uncomfortable at first, but after
a while they’ll feel great!
Start with
a clean
slate.
how do you deal?
Middle school is all about change—new school, new teachers, new
friends. How you cope with change will tell you a lot about how
you’ll adjust to your new surroundings. Choose the answer below
that describes you best to see how you’ll deal when it’s for real.
Quiz
1.
This is the first year you have to take the bus to and from school.
When you find this out, you . . .
a.
beg your dad to ask his boss to let him leave early every day to
pick you up.
b.
call around to see if any other friends will be on your bus. Maybe
you can sit together.
2.
When your favorite teacher goes on maternity leave and is replaced
with a substitute for the rest of the school year, you . . .
a.
find yourself saying, “That’s not how Ms. Cho did it.”
b.
help bring the new teacher up to speed on where Ms. Cho left
off, and then let her do her own thing.
3.
When you find out that none of your friends are in your classes
this year, you . . .
a.
ask the guidance counselor to change your schedule so that you
can be with your friends.
b.
feel bummed, but talk yourself into braving it alone.
4.
Your brother says you’ll have only three minutes to get from
one class to another in middle school. You . . .
a.
gasp, “No way! I’ll never make it.”
b.
set a timer for three minutes to see just how long you’ll have
between classes.
5.
Your best friend starts hanging out with a new girl at school. You . . .
a.
get jealous and give your friend the cold shoulder, hoping she’ll
get the hint that you don’t like what she’s doing.
b.
try to get to know the new girl. Maybe she’ll turn out to be
a great friend for you, too!
6.
Your soccer coach scratches you from
the starting lineup. You . . .
a.
sulk over to the bench and decide
that soccer isn’t your thing.
b.
stay on the sidelines and cheer the
team on. If you pick up some good
tips from the game, you might be
able to earn back your position.