just graduated from middle school :-)

I graduated from Egan Junior High School today. Class of 2000, hell yeah!

Last day of school

The ceremony began with the 7th grade orchestra performing "Pomp and Circumstance." This was followed by the school administrators and valedictorians giving their speeches. Unfortunately, it was extremely hot outside, and we had to sit there for about two hours. I have no idea why the hell they picked the middle of the day for graduation. I'm equally surprised nobody thought of using the auditorium instead.

After the speeches and the handing out of the diplomas, it was time to say goodbye to my teachers and classmates. As a gesture of appreciation, I gave a thank-you card to every teacher I've ever had, as well as our principal and counselor. I even got a hug from my 8th grade English teacher, Mrs. Green, which was a little awkward as I always had a bit of a secret crush on her. *blush*

I'm also very proud to say that I've never been late or missed a single class. I admittedly took a couple of days off for family trips in elementary school. However, I decided to shoot for perfect attendance ever since I found out Springer recognized students who showed up every day. While it sadly turned out Egan didn't have such an award, that doesn't make it any less of an achievement!

Looking back

To me, the best part of middle school was Mrs. Andersen's cooking class. That alone made 8th grade very memorable. I also loved Ms. McLaughlin's science class; she always knew how to brighten up an otherwise dull day with her sense of humor. Another awesome teacher was Ms. Keon; she loved first-person shooters and was kind of cute. Hehe. It seems science teachers are cool like that. I'm also very fond of my computer teacher, Ms. Sessions, and my algebra teacher, Mrs. Massaro, both of whom were extremely kind.

The LAYC dances were also pretty fun, even though they weren't actually organized by Egan. I kind of regret only going to three of them in 7th grade. Funnily enough, I never went to Egan's own dances, although I'm sure there will be some in high school.

But middle school wasn't all fun and games: my least favorite experience was when this Russian kid named Alex kept picking on me. I certainly hope this guy won't show up at Los Altos High School in the fall. There were a few other kids who would make fun of me as well, but that changed after we found out we were all fans of first-person shooters. It seems common interests can turn bullies into buddies.

I must also admit that I've gotten into trouble a couple of times. In one instance, Mr. Smith sent me to the office because I cracked one too many inappropriate jokes in history class. To make matters worse, the teacher-in-charge had a reputation for being tough on students who break rules. But because Mr. Gonella and I knew each other pretty well, and all he did was make me pick up some trash during lunch. You see, it helps to have friends in high places.

There's also that time when my industrial technology teacher sent me outside for being annoying. Mr. Grijalva later admitted he was in a bad mood at the time; he never brought it up again, but I could tell he felt bad about it.

Despite the annoying kids and the run-ins with school rules, my two years at Egan weren't too bad. I definitely hope to go back and visit sometime. But right now, it's time to enjoy summer. :-)

Update: To celebrate graduation, my family went to a restaurant in Palo Alto for dinner. Their cranberry mashed potatoes were really good. Yum!

Currently playing: Melt Down by Jagex Software