Sam: Eighth Grade

List of 8 items.

• How has school life differed here from your previous school?

  Previously, I attended a public school and was in a homeroom of 24 people. Going from that to an advisory of 11 at SSSAS, I was met with more one-on-one interactions with teachers to truly develop an understanding of each topic in a class. We have the opportunity to partake in hands-on activities that allow us to experience the information we are learning, instead of reading it on a textbook page.

• What is your favorite subject?

  Science because I love learning about how our world works and how I could do better in it in the future using various scientific principles. In science class, we get to perform many different experiments that apply the information we learn into something we can observe in the real world.

• What is a project or class assignment you have enjoyed?

  In math we created parodies of songs that would teach our peers about the quadratic formula. I really liked doing this project because it combined my passion for music and algebra.

• Why do you think service learning is important?

  It reminds us of all the blessings we have in our day to day lives that go so easily forgotten in the routine of things. This year, my advisory got to play with young children with intellectual disabilities, such as Autism or Down’s Syndrome, through our school’s partnership with the Special Olympics. We helped teach the kids various motor skills, introduced them to different sports equipment, and most of all, made sure that they had a great time.

• Describe a school project you enjoyed that used technology.

  The sixth grade Green City Design Challenge: We were given a plot of land from countries around the world and were tasked with designing a city that included many “green” forms of technology and energy such as solar panels, hydroelectric dams, etc. Not only did I enjoy working in a group to make the most environmentally conscious city possible, but I also liked designing a hotel run by tidal power through a 3D design software named Tinkercad, where we also got to print out our designs utilizing our school’s 3D printers.

• Tell us about a Middle School club you have participated in.

  I was the Head of the Middle School Drama Board, a group of students that runs the annual festival and chooses new plays to perform, and decided to join because I felt that I could positively influence the drama department. I learned how to work in a team and articulate myself to get a point across. I was in UC2, the school’s diversity club, because equality for all and the understanding of identity is something very important to me. I learned about how important promoting diversity in our daily lives is and I also learned about various people who fought for equal rights. I wrote poems for Prattle Tales (the Middle School literary magazine) because writing poems is something I’ve been doing for a long time and have really enjoyed. I learned how to write meaningful poems that would touch others.

• What artistic experience have you liked most at SSSAS?

  The Middle School Drama Festival is my favorite. It consists of drama classes from each grade level performing a 30-35 minute long piece. I enjoyed it so much because not only did I get to work behind the scenes during the festival through spotlighting, but I also got to act onstage.

• What performing arts classes have you enjoyed?

  Through all three years of Middle School, I participated in drama because I have always had a passion for acting and being onstage. Some roles that I have really enjoyed playing are Edward, a paranoid high school conspiracy theorist, Mr. Lewis, a teacher who runs an experiment to test the integrity of his class, and Guillermo, an awkward opera singer whose plane crashes on a desert island. Through being in drama class, I learned what it meant to be a good actor, teammate, and friend.