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Dr. Vazquez: Coming up on Mondays with Maria, we continue our series on the topic of middle school. This time, we hear from middle school students.
Announcer: Welcome to Mondays with Maria, presented by ADDITION Financial Credit Union. Here's OCPS Superintendent, Dr. Maria Vazquez.
Dr. Vazquez: Hi everyone. Bri MacNaught is back with me. Bri, we've had a series of topics on middle school, right? The stresses around middle school, and some of the myths around middle school. We've tried to point out the facts, and today we have some great advice from middle school students.
Bri MacNaught: Middle school, those were the days, right? <Laugh>? Yeah. No, not at all. It was rough for me. But that being said, the best advice sometimes you can get about middle school is from students who have already experienced middle school, right?
Dr. Vazquez: Yes. So, well, let's see. For this series on middle school, we've heard from middle school parents and also middle school teachers with great information for our families. I love that series that we did because it really has helped our families gain a better understanding about middle school. And so it's our hope for our middle school families that they also found it helpful.
Bri MacNaught: Yeah, and if you missed any of those episodes, you can actually find them on our YouTube, under the district's YouTube that is look for Mondays with Maria Playlist.
Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. That you can find all of our episodes there. So our first middle school student is from Discovery Middle School. Let's take a look.
Discovery MS Student: I think that it is perfectly normal to be nervous. I was very, very nervous coming into middle school, but as you come and realize that you have seven teachers, it gets a little bit overwhelming. But you have a bigger support system than you had in elementary, and you come to be more comfortable with the environment around you. So I think that you'll definitely be fine after a few weeks.
Dr. Vazquez: So that sounds a little like what our teachers said, right? Mm-Hmm <affirmative>. That it can be overwhelming, but you have a bigger support system around you. Yeah. I
Bri MacNaught: Actually remember vividly, I had a teacher in middle school that was very, very helpful for me during a time of, you know, change. A lot of change happening. And so yes, that bigger support system helps so much during those times. Yeah.
Dr. Vazquez: So, we have another student, and she is from Gotha Middle School.
1st Gotha MS Student: Some advice I would give to a upcoming sixth grader is that it's okay to make mistakes. I know that you want to be that some people may want to be at the top of their class, not asking for help, but asking for help can really build a good habit. You don't want to be the one who doesn't know what to do because you didn't feel like asking for help. But it's okay to make mistakes, 'cause Mistakes. Like you could learn from your mistakes.
Dr. Vazquez: I can so relate to that even as an adult, right? We sometimes don't want to ask for help. We think, well, we should know all this. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>. I think that that's very timely.
Bri MacNaught: And I love what you said about mistakes can allow for lessons to be learned, right? Mm-Hmm <affirmative>.
Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. And we're not perfect and we're going to make mistakes every day. So the important thing is that we learn from them and that we grow. Exactly. Love it. I think we have one more student from got the middle school.
2nd Gotha MS Student: I would say don't procrastinate 'cause that's something I did and I think a lot of other kids did. I try to like, I know studying seems like, oh wait, if I don't study and I still be good, oh, I'm smart, I'm a genius. But really you're building yourself a bad habit when you start studying. When you get to older and older and your classes might get harder. You already have that habit of studying and then you already know what you have to do and what you can do and I'll put you above the rest. So I would say just don't procrastinate and make sure to stay on top of your work so that you can enjoy school, but also be excelling in school at the same time.
Dr. Vazquez: Oh my gosh, that was brilliant.
Bri MacNaught: That was great. Creating good habits. I mean, that's awesome.
Dr. Vazquez: It is. And it brings up the fact you've got seven teachers, so time management is huge. And sometimes when we procrastinate then we dig a hole and we have a very hard time getting out of. So yeah. I think that was excellent advice. And our last middle school student is from Odyssey, so let's take a look.
Odyssey MS Student: So there are different classes that obviously you don't have an elementary school like orchestra. Like I was, I was excited that I could play like a viola and that you can play different instruments, 'cause in elementary school, well, you didn't have that. And art class was also really fun. And I learned like volleyball and new sports that I didn't think I was going to like, but I ended up bit liking
Dr. Vazquez: Another great piece of advice. There's so much variety in the courses available to our students in middle school. So, you can branch out into something new, and who knows, it may be something that really surprises you.
Bri MacNaught: Yeah, you get to try new things, which is great. And I did play middle school basketball. It was great. It was super fun. I got to try it out. Didn't play a lot. We're not going to talk about that. But yes, it was trying something different and opened up a whole new door for me. Yeah. Great.
Dr. Vazquez: Wonderful advice from our students who are now getting ready to go into high school,
Bri MacNaught: Which is another fun chapter of life, <laugh>. Yes, it is.
Dr. Vazquez: Thank you all for watching. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe. We will have more of our conversation on our podcast. Just go to wherever you get your podcast and search for Mondays with Maria. Have a great day, and I'll see you next week
Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic. Listen to the Mondays with Maria podcast available wherever you get your podcasts. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count us in for every step of your financial journey. Learn more at Additionfi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit TheSlice.ocps.net. I'm your announcer. Kaleb Priester, a senior at Jones High School. Thanks for watching and have a great week.