Heading to High School

 

First Day at Bentley High School,  8/26/2021.

This past August, Amara began high school.  Yes, Amara is a freshman! What a huge milestone for her and our family. But before I get into that, I have to share how she worked her tail off during her entire time at Montessori Family School, with the goal of getting in the high school of her choice. Amara has always been a committed student, who is also a gentle but strong leader amongst her peers. Even when times were (very) tough in Middle School, she persevered. Her goal was to get into a high school where she could continue to learn, ask questions of her teachers to help her learn, do sports and to have a bigger social network so that she could make new friends.  It was a tough application year for independent schools but Amara did make into her top school of choice (and was also waitlisted and later offered a spot at her second choice). I cried tears of joy, my heart full of pride for this young being who strived to make her high school dream a reality. Because the path to getting there was fraught with so much tension and stress, the reward of her acceptance was so much sweeter. 

Prior to the first day of school, there was an equal mixture of excitement and nerves.  That was understandable. Amara being Amara, well there were some dramatic moments, where she expressed both the thrill and the terror. I hate to remind her, once again. that all new things take time to adjust too. That it was exciting but scary too. We bought new clothing, shoes and got haircuts, which helped fray some nerves. I took off the first day to drive her and cried when I drove away.  I just couldn't comprehend that Amara was going to High School. By the end of that first day, Amara was absolutely certain she made the right choice for high school. She'd been practicing for cross country for the two weeks leading up to the first day. This allowed her to get to know some peers. And within the first few weeks, she and a group of others students formed their own circle that was welcoming and inclusive. It was a breath of fresh air for Amara. No bullies, no exclusion.  I have had to remind her that it will take time for her to find her true peeps but for now, there have been social outings to Berkeley, Walnut Creek, swimming at friends houses and more. All the things she longed for but was not attainable in a much smaller school setting and then with the pandemic hitting. Amara has had some bumps getting up to speed with Algebra and Physics but she is acing Spanish, English and History.  Her peer advisor told us during conference that in most classes, Amara is speaking up. That is a huge step for her. In MFS, the only feedback we heard consistently over the years is that Amara did not speak up that much. Well, she seems to be coming into her own at last.

It's too early to tell how things will go moving forward but I suspect it won't be that much different. Highs and lows of high school are sure to follow but overall I think she will continue loving the academic environment, sports and social aspects of her high school. And I can't exclude art, which she loves. I have heard Amara say many times that she loves her school. I not not seen her this happy about school in several years. My heart is very relieved.  So here's to a pretty good start of high school, the last years of her childhood. It is bittersweet but I am going to relish each moment with her.