We are counting down to the end of the 2019-2020 school year, and it is a particularly bittersweet time for our 8th grade students as they prepare to graduate under very unusual circumstances. To help celebrate and recognize our ILS Class of 2020, we are again launching our “Meet Us Monday” blog series to introduce you to the members of this year’s graduating class.
Each week, we will be sharing interviews that we have done with each of our 8th grade students, in which they share more about their favorite ILS memories and traditions, words of wisdom they’ve received over the years, and other reflections from their years here with us at ILS. We hope that you will enjoy these reflections, and join with us in congratulating and celebrating these students!
Meet Us Monday: Aria U., ILS Class of 2020
1. How long have you attended ILS? 10 years. It’s been a long time. It’s been really nice to be at ILS for so long – and it’s been a great community! I really have loved it. But I am excited to head to high school – 10 years is a long time! I’m excited for change.
2. To what house do you belong, and how have you developed as a person by being involved in it? I’m in House Irenaeus. It’s helped me build friendships with people I might not otherwise have grown as close to. It taught me how to work with people in my house and how to work with students younger than me. It helps me develop the ability to have good teamwork skills so that we can win competitions. I like to win, but I’m not so competitive that I want to be ruthless. My two older siblings were also Irenaeus, which actually makes me more loyal to the house. Both of my siblings were captains, but I am okay with not being the captain – I’m still a leader in my house. Captains need support and advice, the house needs good planning, and so on. If the captain is telling them “pay attention” they may not be inclined to do that unless somebody also tells them too!
3. What was your favorite House competition? You would think it might be one of the really academic ones, but we never seem to win those! I really liked the frisbee competition, because my family has always played frisbee together. My dad taught us fancy things like catching the frisbee behind your back or skipping it. I like that I’m pretty good at it even if I’m not so athletic.
4. What is your favorite ILS memory? (Or, which ILS tradition will you remember the most?) My favorite tradition is Lutheran Schools Week and the week-long house competition. From the Talent Show to the dioramas, to Teacher Swap to Drop Everything and Read Day – there’s so much to anticipate! It’s a lot of fun.
5. Which event did you most look forward to during your 8th grade year? I was really looking forward to Adventure Camp and the graduation party. I was really excited for all of that and even had a dress for the party already. I think we would have been leaving tomorrow for camp too. Are we still going to have a graduation party? (Answer: yes, even if it’s sometime in the summer!) Yay!
6. What was your favorite class at ILS, and why? Probably literature. At the beginning of literature class, I never feel excited because writing the summaries of our homework reading is tough, but then it’s amazing. I love the discussions we have and it’s great to talk as a class about the books we’re studying. We have deep discussions which is nice to see because my class doesn’t often have deep conversations on our own. We’re almost done with Return of the King and even though the classes have to happen over Zoom, I still really enjoy it. Plus, I love Miss Davis and just enjoy her so much. She’s a really good teacher.
7. What was your favorite ILS field trip? Probably Adventure Camp and Science Camp! Most people love those. A long time ago, maybe back in 3rd grade, we went to the Botanical Gardens which was so beautiful and peaceful. I’m not sure why I remember that one so clearly, but it was really nice and felt like a forest.
8. Where are you attending High School? I’m going to Oakcrest, the all-girls school. I’m really excited. One, it’s an all-girls school and it will be nice to not have to deal with boys for awhile. Oakcrest was my first choice because I felt that the teachers really cared about you and your education. Two, just from being there, you can tell the teachers really love their students and want them to succeed. I’m planning to be in their choir and play soccer.
9. What will you miss the most about ILS? I think it will be the people: all my friends, and the teachers like Miss Davis and Pastor Esget and Ms. Kramer.
10. What is something a teacher told you that you will never forget? They’ve had such a big impact on my life but it’s challenging to think of some specific moment. I do remember one time when Mr. Schultz let me throw a piece of chalk at Parker in 6th grade. The love the teachers show us is hard to forget: you can feel that in how they teach and talk to us about our lives and who we are.