Thinking back to my MIDDLE SCHOOL Days….

September 25, 2023 - Candace Hurley

I was a recent immigrant to the United States from Jamaica, W.I. I was alone on this venture because I lived with my extended family The Carrs. At the age of 13, I had left my family to pursue my education in America. I also left behind my best friend and the expansive community of Portmore Drive to learn in the Caribbean Mecca of Church Ave and Flatbush Avenue. I was a fish out of the Caribbean Sea. My accent and naiveté seemed to present before I entered a classroom. I was alone and different. I had sufficient food and basics but lacked the familial supports I was accustomed to back home. This little foreign girl navigated the bustling lunch rooms, the alienation, the second class status. I did so mostly through the kindness of teachers like Ms. Jacobs and Ms. Gross who gave me turtlenecks, sweaters and a welcome ear to keep me warm, ground me, and acclimatize me in this new land and this new school: MeyerLevin High School.

What was your Middle School experience like? And how could it be improved? We want to help make Middle School better for our scholars.