Moving on to eighth grade

Seventh graders recall memories and talk about eighth grade

By: Lacey Korevec
   Cranbury School seventh-grader Jimmy Lindberg remembers his initial impression of the eighth-graders on his first day of kindergarten nearly eight years ago.
   "I remember how big they were and how small I was and how nervous I got when they were around," he said.
   Now, as the school year dwindles, Jimmy and his classmates are about to become the new head honchos at Cranbury School — the eighth-graders of 2007-2008.
   But as Peter Parker would say, with "great power comes great responsibility," and while many students haven’t felt nervous about transitioning into another grade since they entered Cranbury School so many years ago, this year they have a lot on their mind.
   "I want to set a good example for the younger kids," Jimmy said. "I don’t want to do anything wrong that they’ll want to do when they’re older. I want to help them become better students and for them to get better grades."
   Jimmy said his plan is to do these things on his own and hope that students in younger grades see him as a positive role model. He isn’t alone when it comes to his desire to use his eighth-grade position to make a difference.
   Seventh-grader Rachel Wanat also wants to set a good example and is 100-percent positive that the goal won’t be a problem for her and her classmates to reach.
   "I just think it’s going to be the best grade ever," she said. "We have all our knowledge from kindergarten through seventh grade and now it’s our chance to be the oldest kids and we’re all happy and excited about that, so I can’t think of anything that would go wrong."
   But there is a ton more to look forward to about eighth grade other than just being the oldest in the school. Rachel said she’s psyched about the fundraisers, the school dances and the class trips.
   "The dances are going to be so much fun, especially being that we have the eighth-grade dance at the end of the year," she said. "I’m also excited about all the privileges we have in eighth grade — the pool party at the end of the year, the car wash, the trip to New York City going to see all sorts of things. I think all of our hard work is definitely going to pay off."
   However, there are a few aspects of eighth grade that might be stressful to some, including standardized testing, Rachel said.
   "Also, if we leave eighth grade with a bad reputation, that carries on into high school so we really have to straighten everything out," she said. "But I’m definitely confident in my peers and in myself because I know we all have the potential and the material Cranbury School has given us all these years."
   And since it’s the last year at the school, seventh-grader Nicole Powell said it has to be the best.
   "When I was in fourth grade, I was always like, ‘Next year’s going to be fifth grade,’ then sixth, then seventh, and now I’m finally in eighth grade and I’m going to be the oldest in the school and it definitely went by fast."
   Seeing how much fun the current eighth-graders are having in their final days at Cranbury School tells Nicole that her own class is going to have an incredible school year come September.
   "Since it’s the last year, the school is going to try and make it the best, so I’m not nervous or scared about anything," said Nicole, who was voted next year’s eighth-grade class president. "As president, I’m going to try and make it the best that I can make it for not only my grade, but for the school."
   The parts of eighth grade that seventh-grader Alex Mitko is most excited for are the school trips and getting ready for high school. Going to the Princeton High School orientation and enjoying the last few weeks of eighth grade before moving on to the new school will be here before he knows it, he said.
   "I’m just looking forward to enjoying next year and making it the last one to remember at Cranbury School," he said.