Dear Fifth Graders…

Naomi Bobbitt, Contributing Writer

Dear Fifth Graders,

 

Welcome to Poly Prep’s Middle School! I hope that your first month here has treated you well! My name is Naomi Bobbitt. I’m in the eighth grade and I’ve been at Poly since lower school. Regardless if you’re a student coming from the lower school or this is your first year at Poly, fifth grade is a great time to make new friends and get an idea of what the rest of middle school will look like. I hope that this year will be a great year for you all.

 

In fifth grade, you will explore the Poly Prep campus and learn about the different resources available to you. You will engage in  library class where you’ll learn how to find books and source information for future work. You’ll be able to try all of the different arts cores that Poly offers to discover which suits you best. Fifth graders have the opportunity to discover their learning styles in Foundations. What kind of learner you are — auditory, visual, or kinesthetic — won’t become obvious after just one year of school, but being conscious of it will help you grow as a student.

 

This may also be the first time you’re getting more homework and it’s becoming crucial to be thoughtful about how you manage your time. Try your best to keep yourself organized. I’ve been guilty of procrastination before. However, because of that, I can say from experience that that habit will hurt you. So, do yourself a favor and try and plan out when you want to do your homework to ensure that you don’t cause yourself a lot of unnecessary stress. 

 

Speaking of which, there are so many resources and tools available to you that can help you stay organized and stress-free. Poly students have access to planners and Google Calendar, where you can map out your schedule. Planners will ensure that you develop good time-management skills to help you get through the school year. Transitioning into middle school can be challenging. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your teachers to schedule extra help sessions. Extra help is a time for students to  ask questions or to work through confusion with their teachers. 

Make friends in fifth grade. Be kind to everyone you meet. The people that become your friends this year may last you all the way to high school. Maybe even longer than that!

 

Finally, my most important piece of advice for fifth graders is that now is a great time to involve yourself in the Poly Prep Community. Run for Middle School Senate! Think about what you like to do or what you care about. Push yourself to try something new by joining a club that revolves around something you hardly know about. Look for a space where you can express yourself, and if you can’t find a space that you feel comfortable in, create one! You can reach out to Mr. Winston about creating a new club. Maybe you’re interested in getting involved in community service, in which case you’d reach out to the Director of Service Learning, Mr. Sivin. If you’re interested in creating a new space at Poly, but you’re not sure where to start, you can always talk to your dean or your advisors.

 

Overall, I hope that each and every one of you has an amazing year and that by the time you make it to eighth grade you can see the impact you’ve made on this community. 

 

Best,

Naomi Bobbitt, ‘27