On the first day of second grade, I thought to myself, “This is going to be horrible.” It was my first day of school at Stanley Clark. I remember my mom driving up to the school with my brother, baby sister, and me all in the car. I was scared for my life. I still remember my mom saying, “Today will be a good day.” I jumped out of the car and grabbed my mom’s hand, squeezing on as hard as a little second grader could, regretting even getting out of the car. We walked up to the main entrance, and my anxiety really kicked in. As we walked down the halls, I saw my second-grade classroom and walked up to the classroom door. There Maddy was standing with her mom. Her mom said to me, “ Hello Brooklyn, this is my daughter Maddy. She’s super excited to meet you.” That made me feel so welcomed. At that moment, my mind changed, "Today is going to be a great day!” I said goodbye to my mom as she walked away. I went into the classroom to find my seat, and I was so excited when I got to sit next to Maddy. Everyone was so welcoming and warm. We started class, and I got to introduce myself. I walked up to the whiteboard and said, “ Hi, my name is Brooklyn. I have a little brother named Austin and a baby sister named Logan, and I can’t wait to have a fun year with you guys.”

All the teachers are so sweet and so welcoming to everyone. They made your day fun and joyful by letting you have free roam to be yourself. To this day, I wish I could go back to second grade. I am still close to most, if not all, of my friends. I cried when I found out I was changing schools and going to Stanley Clark. But I am so happy my parents chose this school for me because it is such a great school for letting you be yourself and supporting you through all your ups and downs. You can tell it’s a good school when you walk in and everyone is so welcoming and helpful. I am so glad I walked into school that day, or I wouldn’t have found and made the best of friends.