Article September 17, 1990 Issue

"I just wanted them all to like me"

Being the new kid in school isn't always easy. What can we do when we don't seem to fit in?

Madora McKenzie Kibbe

I Attended a private school from kindergarten until the first month of sixth grade. It was a very happy time for me. My classmates and I were all good friends; I liked my teachers and my classes. It was all pretty idyllic, until...

My dad decided I should transfer to one of the local public schools. It had an excellent academic reputation and, unlike the private school, it was free. Dad was starting to think about sending two kids (I had an older brother) to college. Now seemed like a good time to start saving in earnest.

I understood that. What I didn't like was having to transfer after the regular school year had already started. I knew it was going to be an awkward transition, but nothing prepared me for what could only be defined as new depths of awkwardness.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

From the Editors

A special letter to our younger readers