Sept. 7 was the first day on the job for Holman Middle School. Hundreds of kids piled in as the anxiety-ridden first day began. However, the weeks have run on, and people have started to create friendships, even though we are all from different schools. The schools that filtered into Holman (Hungary Creek Middle, Short Pump Middle, and several elementary schools) have all gotten along and grown together. As Dr. Fellows has said, “The tradition of excellence begins now.”

I think it certainly has begun, from the LEED construction of our school that is environmentally friendly, to the kids’ favorite, a slushie machine at lunch. Another thing that makes our new school stand out is the Promethean boards that have been placed in every classroom. These boards make it so kids can write on the board while the screen is projecting a worksheet from the teachers’ computer, and linking to devices such as document cameras and interactive student devices. Also the boards can perform simple tasks, like playing movies. The fall athletics have also been a smashing hit, with the soccer, football, and tennis teams all earning winning records so far. Many new clubs have been introduced such as the Rubik’s Cube Club, Peer Helpers Club, and Teaching Tolerance Club.

However, at the end of the day, besides the academics and extra activities, we all are beginning to be one big happy family. We all hated to leave behind an old school, but it was certainly for the best as “The Tradition of Excellence” has certainly begun.