Pacific Beach Middle School has a very special way to welcome their sixth graders! Seventh and eighth grader students write them a letter telling them what to expect, and reminding them not to be anxious or apprehensive about middle school. Hundreds of letters to the new 6th graders decorate the walls on one side of the hallway, and on the other side are posters from the sixth graders depicting their high level emotions coming into middle school. The letters told the students not to worry about too much work, that the cafeteria food was good, and that the teachers were pretty cool. On the other hand, the posters showed the mixed feelings of the new 6th graders such as: "Am I in the right class," "Will my teacher be nice," and "Are all the students looking at me?"
The validation of what the students are feeling is the first step in empowering them to move forward, and the letters from the upperclassmen motivate them as they enter the new middle school world. As a visitor to the school, you get a feeling of acceptance and welcome; the exact feelings you would want as you enter a new and unfamiliar place.
