I am often told by my parents that, even before I was born, they talked about sending me to Clark. I spent my pre-school and kindergarten years at Countryside Montessori School but immediately after kindergarten, I found myself testing for Stanley Clark and taking a tour of the school, no question about it. On the first day of being at Clark, I was pretty shy. All the girls were over on the playground, together, talking about American Girl Dolls. I remember sitting on the bench, alone, until Mrs. Hindsley, our now retired first grade teacher, came up to me and encouraged me to sit with the others. After that, there hasn’t been a dull moment at Clark. 

There hasn’t been a day where I have wished for another school or didn’t have friends here. The community was genuinely so welcoming and my first grade year was a year to remember. As the rest of lower school went on, I made more and more connections, and every single teacher I had made me feel like I was in the right place. I remember the sense of euphoria I felt going into fifth grade. I felt so old and was excited to have all the new teachers, lockers, classrooms. Fifth and sixth grade flew by. The big projects we did, such as YouTown, the wax museum, etc., were all things that brought my grade together. 

Seventh grade is when I really realized that my grade is literally my family. We’ve seen each other five days a week, seven hours a day, for nearly seven years. Looking back at all the good times we’ve had together, it’s so sad knowing that in less than a year, we will all be separated from each other.

And as COVID-19 continues to write history in our lives, Clark has made us all feel safe and well protected. 

Knowing my grade, we will stay in touch for years after we graduate, but it won’t be the same as being in class with these friends of mine. No matter what we do we have fun because of how tight the community is at this school. I know everyone here by name and in every class, we learn and make it fun. Every teacher is here to guide and help us. Not one of the teachers I’ve had has made me feel alone or lost. As I ramble on, I think back to my first Olympic Day, the Halloween parades, my first speech meet, and my first school play. Stanley Clark has shown me who I am and introduced me to my love of theatre, passion for violin, and my drive for academics. But most importantly, it taught me what family and togetherness really mean.