By Tino Magana Guerro,
Staff Writer.
When Santa Rosa Middle School received news that they were going to lose their campus to funding issues in the district, many in the community felt concerned. Some families were worried that the high schoolers could not be trusted around middle schoolers, and some that their children’s education would be diminished. Others feared that the middle school would lose important programs and classes. Some of these worries were proven true this year, but the electives surprisingly stayed the same.
Though the middle school has its own building, DeSoto Hall, and a separate, offset schedule, the change has brought numerous challenges and emotions for middle schoolers adjusting to their new environment. For eighth grader Dikshant KC, the change went well. “All the classes have been smooth since it’s a small building; it’s easier to go from class to class,” said KC.
Because the junior and senior high schedules are different, students rarely encounter each other during the day. But there are points where both schools could meet, such as before school when both schools are still waiting outside for their classes to start and having to share the locker rooms with each other during PE, as well as the senior high’s sixth period, where some middle schoolers may still be on campus.
Some students imagine a middle and high school collaboration in the future. KC explained, “I feel like, honestly, it’s pretty good the high schoolers and middle schoolers are a lot closer so we can have projects together and, like I said before, the transition will probably be a lot easier.”
We could all very much say last year that this change was not on our bingo card for the year, with many feeling unsettled with the idea of the junior high being on campus with the senior high. However, inside DeSoto Hall, students are looking forward to working collaboratively and building connections with their upperclassmen outside DeSoto Hall, hoping the transition will get smoother over time.
