 The first day outfit laid out, um, big dinner, um, I was very nervous, couldn't sleep. I was like, go to bed early, I can't sleep, had my alarm set, six o'clock, take a shower and do all that, but I remember being nervous. Well, I really appreciated it when I got lost going to the library for math class. One of my teacher excused me and said, okay, you know, things like that happen. I have a friend in eighth grade and she came up to me at lunch and asked me how my day was going and walked me to my fifth period class. It was my first day and I was going to math class and I went into the wrong class and the teacher helped me and she led me to the class that I was supposed to be at. The first thing I remember was like, my friends just came up to me and said, like, if you have the same classes as I do and I'm all, yeah, some of them. And then some other kids I knew, like, were just amazed how tall I was so they're just wanting to hang out with me and all that. I like that I have friends here. I like that there are seven classes, so if you don't like a teacher, you don't have that teacher all the time. Probably the size of the campus. I mean, you can walk around wherever you want to. There's no real restrict. Probably having seven classes because you're not just having one teacher the whole time and you get, if you don't have any friends in your class, you're sure to have one in all the other six classes. You get a tour of the school and you get your picture taken for the yearbook and your ID card. And get to know the school a little better. I remember I couldn't get my locker open three times. You see how long a period is and what you do for PE and staff, so it's really helpful. Welcome to Holmes. Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High serves over 1,000 students. The student body represents a world of culture, ethnic diversity, scholastic ability, artistic talent, and athletic skill. Students come in all shapes and sizes and range in age from 11 to 16 years old. Imagine the change in development that can take place during these important years at Holmes. Holmes is a place for everyone and we welcome you here. For most students, the day begins at 8 a.m. Students come to school by all methods of transportation. It will be a busy day filled with learning activities, socializing, lunchtime clubs, and after-school events. You may be in seven different classrooms by the time you leave campus at the end of the day. Keeping track of materials, books, and personal items can be very challenging. Some of you will choose to carry books, homework, lunch, and personal items in your backpack from class to class. Others will use the locker assigned to you on campus. Getting to class on time is very important. Think about what will help you to stay organized. All students take core academic subjects such as English, social studies, science, and math. Seventh graders belong to cores that share a team of teachers for English social studies and science. Some students will be in regular grade level cores, some in an English language learners core, and some will be in the gate core. Some students will have classes in the Resource Learning Center. The math level you will be in is determined by your individual math needs, your test scores, and teacher recommendation. We want you to be challenged and successful. Every student takes physical education. The goal of physical education is to develop an attitude for lifelong health and fitness. Studying a second language introduces you to a whole new world of cultural history and geography. German, Spanish, and French are options for seventh grade students interested in beginning or continuing the study of a language. Japanese is offered after the seventh grade. Typing and word processing skills will save a lot of time on school projects. Seventh graders learn to be efficient and creative with the computer. Later, options like computer assisted drafting provides the knowledge for forming, presenting, and analyzing ideas. Multimedia technology uses a variety of visual arts that interact with sound. The combination of these courses provides a way for students to illustrate a thought. Fine arts adds meaning to our lives through voice, dance, musical instruments, and the visual arts. Art displays, musical productions, and dramatic presentations offer many opportunities for you to get involved and to express your personal talents. Remember, you do not have to be on stage or play an instrument to be an important part in a dramatic production. It takes all kinds of talent and practical skill to produce a successful show. It is difficult to know the difference between fine arts and practical arts. Each requires knowledge about equipment, technique, and experience in order to generate a worthy product. Fine craftsmanship is a value as well as a skill whether you are baking a gourmet dish, casting a piece of jewelry, or building a plant stand. The school garden is a product of practical and fine arts working together. The school library is the center of our campus. You will have many opportunities to work in the library. Classes work together there on certain assignments. Students can work before and after school and during lunch. Computers are available in the library for student use. An after-school tutoring program is available in the library three days a week. We hope you have enjoyed this introduction to Holmes Junior High. We look forward to you joining our student body and hope you will take every opportunity to discover new ideas, acquire new skills, and further develop your personal talents. You are a part of a great community of students, faculty, and parents' supporters. Lockers are really helpful because first of all you can decorate them any way you want and you can put like a middle thing in the middle so that you can have two shelves and you can put all the stuff you need in there like books that you aren't using that you don't have to carry in your backpack and it's really helpful. Holmes Junior High Cross Country but that ended and I'm looking forward to doing track. Holmes is a nice campus and you don't have to be worried about ninth graders beating you up because I know most of the eighth graders are going to be turning ninth graders next year and they're all nice and there's nothing really to be worried about. I used to be part of the seventh grade boys basketball and I am in builders club. Last Wednesday I started the sign language club and you learn the basic vocabulary. I think it's very helpful if you go with your parents or your friends around the school and look for all your classes and where you're going to need to. Our lunch is a great time for us to get stuff done. The library is open all the time so we can go have some time to do our work. I'm going to be on the Holmes soccer team because I mean at elementary school you can only buy milk. I mean it's not cool.