8th-graders looking ahead.
By: Audrey Levine
They will stand up in front of their families and friends with smiles on their faces, ready to close one door and open another.
Cranbury School’s less than 100 eighth-graders will graduate on Wednesday from a school that has been like a second home to them, they said.
But despite any anxiety over this next step, they said they are excited and hopeful about what’s to come.
"It’s fun to go where no one knows me," said Matt Lennon, who will attend The Peddie School in the fall. "It’s going to be a new experience I’ve never had before."
Dylan DeCuio, who will be attending Notre Dame High School said that, although he will miss seeing his friends every day, he is not nervous "because I make friends fast," he said.
He said he already knows some students who attend the school and knows he will be able to see friends from Cranbury on weekends.
Matt said he is excited about some of the specialized classes offered at Peddie, including video editing and production. He said he enjoys making movies and, after being stage director for his eighth grade play, would like to continue this sort of activity.
Rachel Hyman, who will attend Princeton High School, is looking forward to the drama plays, emphasizing that the auditions will be more competitive.
"I’m also excited for the music program," she said. "I hear they travel."
Michael Mayes Jr. will be boarding at Blair Academy in North Jersey, a private school that helps prepare students for college.
"It should be fun," he said. "I’m looking forward to meeting new people and expanding my (knowledge)."
Michael said he is also looking forward to playing tennis at his new school after ranking 16th in the state in his age group in Cranbury. He said students must play two sports while at Blair Academy, so he can also play basketball.
Despite everything the students are looking forward to, they said they will miss the small environment of Cranbury.
Matt said he is a little nervous about leaving what he has come to call his "second house."
"I’ve known these people my whole life," he said. "I wish this year didn’t go as fast."
"I’ll miss everybody knowing exactly who everyone’s parents are," Rachel said. "(Even) the teachers are close with people here because there are not many students."
"It was a good learning environment because of the small classes and a good group of friends," Michael said.
Many of the students have known the same teachers throughout their entire academic careers and they say it will be difficult to leave that kind of environment.
"I will miss the comfort of the teachers because I’ve known them for all my academic years," Dylan said. "(But) the teachers are good and have been trying to make us more independent."
And as hard as the transition will be for the students, it will not be any easier for the parents as they watch their children graduate.
"My mom is going to be very weepy at graduation," Matt said.
Michael said he knows it will be a hard transition for his parents since he will be boarding at his new school.
"They’ll miss me, but I think they’ll get over that eventually," he said.
Previous graduates of Cranbury also recognize how difficult the transition was from the small environment.
Dylan DeCuio said leaving Cranbury will be more difficult once everyone realizes that the year is actually over.
"During graduation practice, my friends goof off, but at graduation, I think we’ll be serious," he said. "As much as they say they want to go to high school, they may want to come back because Cranbury is our family and it’s hard to leave family."