The Begining Of A New Me

Chapter 1 "The OLD Me"

   It was the start of the 4th grade and I couldn't wait to make new friends. My teacher Mr. Kelly and she told us to believe in ourselves.
   The 4th grade is when I really started to get heavy. The other kids started to tease me about it. The teacher's at my school were really great and stopped the bullying and dealt with the bullies. I did make friends but the teasing stuck with me.
    I went to Girls Inc. during the summer. They teach us to be strong, smart, and bold. They teach us to not be afraid of bullies, because they are not as important as I am. I attended Girls Inc. for 6 full years and have had great experiences there.
     I started 5th grade with a good attitude and excited about my final year at Highlands. Mrs. Butterfield was my teacher, she always believed in me. The teasing was there again about my weight. I was able to handle it though. I had more friends than the bullies. They were a great help that year.
     I went to Girls Inc. again that summer. I made a lot of friends there. I thought I could stay there forever. Over the summer I stayed in contact with my friends by phone. I remember being excited about middle school. It was like finally growing up. When school started I was not ready for the biggest change of my life so far.
     Middle school is so much different than elementary school. The kids are a lot meaner, and don't care about who they hurt. It can make you withdraw into yourself and not want to be friends with anyone.
     It was very tough getting through 6th grade. My dad had to constantly come to school to talk to the faculty about the bullies. I also missed a lot of school, not because I was sick, but, afraid of being bullied. I don't know how I did it but I managed to stay on A,B honor roll.
    To give you an example; during P.E. I told coach I was being bullied at my gym locker and couldn't change into my gym clothes. The coach did not address the bullies, she told me to go change in the bathroom. This did not solve the problem. So you can imagine how glad I was when 6th grade ended.