Nature Writing, Narrative, and Self-Expression

Personal Narrative: "Class this is Karolina"

     "Karolina, it's the first day of school!" my mom yelled, except she said it in Polish and 4 years ago in 2013. Confused yet... let's backtrack then. Four years ago on September eighth I was an eight year old girl going to her first day of school as a fourth grader but this wasn't just any ordinary first day of school. I was going to a new school, with new people, and in new surroundings. It was the start of a new chapter of my life and the first page was being written that day.

    As my mom and I were walking to my new school, PS. IS. 163, my legs were shaking and I kept on playing with my hair. The feeling of going to a new school worried me and made me feel uncomfortable because I never been in  this type of situation before. But I didn't have much time to calm myself down because it took about 10 minutes to get there. As I got to the school there was a lot of commotion everyone was all over the place. Thankfully inside it was a lot quieter. I soon got into the lobby of my school and started thinking more of how my class was going to react to a new students and most of the time I had happy thoughts. We got called to the main office to talk to my new principal, Ms. Wasmuth, she reminded me of Cruella de Vil because of her hair. Although she seemed way nicer ;she tried her hardest to make me feel welcomed and even gave me a cookie which I really enjoyed. Then it was time to meet my class.

As I was going up the stairs to my classroom I reminded myself that everything was going to be okay and thankfully it was. Ms. Wasmuth stopped at the fourth floor and that's when I started panicking the most and asked myself so many questions. How will my classmates treat me? Will I make friends? How will my teacher react to having  a new student? My brain was filling up with questions like  an empty pool being filled up with water except faster. WAY faster. And so we came to a stop, on the door of that classroom it said "Ms. Yousha's class / 4-421" I was positive this was my class. Ms. Wasmuth knocked on the door and slowly opened it and every single student stared with their eyes looking at me. I didn't know if it was just because they heard someone was coming or was it that I looked weird. "Class please quiet down. We have a new student joining our class this year and her name is Karolina." Ms. Yousha said. Well at that time I was predicting it was her I wasn't 100% sure though but I was right. She asked the class who I wanted to sit with. That was one of the questions I was scared of because I didn't want to sit next to someone who I wouldn't like for the rest of the year. Luckily though two girls raised their hands asking if I wanted to sit with them and of course I said yes. Those two girls are now two of my closest friends: Julia and Anna. I was happy I got to make friends because I didn't know what I would do without them. That day went a lot better than I thought it would be and I couldn't wait to tell my mom what I did that day.

    As weeks past I felt more and more welcomed and I didn't feel like the new girl anymore. By November I knew all the names of the students in my class and most of my teachers. I made so many new friends that I got along very well with. They helped me get to know the school better and helped me get involved more. By early January I was taking part in activities such as: theatre, dance troupe, the science fair, a STEAM program, chorus, and guitar club. I was really happy I got to expand my surroundings in such a way that I was learning but also having a fun time.

    As May and June came, school was coming to an end which is all that kids were talking about in those months. I was having the most fun I've had through the entire school year in May and June. I got to be in the spring concert performing my guitar music and singing in front of about 200 people. I also got to go to the finals of the science fair that year which I was very proud of. Even though the year was really fun it had to come to an end which I was very sad about because this year was very important to me.

    Looking back to when I was in fourth grade I realize even more how important that year was to me. I learned so many things in that one year that I didn't realize I learned until now, as a rising eighth grader. One of the things I learned was that it is very important to be yourself all the time and to always believe in yourself no matter the situation. Even though I was going to a new school I made sure to have happy thoughts about my class and because of my hint of positive attitude towards my classmates I was able to make best of what I had and surprisingly my new school was not so bad after all. When I found out I was going to a new school I hated the thought of me having to change and adapt to new surroundings. Although in the present I think about what would happen if I never moved. I wouldn't have made new friends, got to know new surroundings, realize how much more there was to the world before moving to Brooklyn. I might of still be in a small town, seeing same people, and knowing every place around me without having to ask a single question.