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My Voice

Movin' On Up

by Brawner Alcorn 

It's the end of the year at Tuckahoe Middle, and everyone is excited about summer break. For the sixth and seventh graders, it's just another year gone by in middle school. For the eighth graders, it's a completely different story. 

Starting in early December, Mr. Sutter began working with eighth graders so that we could find out about The Governor's School and various specialty centers. If not applying to a certain school or center, most eighth graders will attend the regular program either at Freeman or at Tucker. 

The majority of eighth graders have their ninth-grade year planned by now for the most part. Planning for high school isn't the really big part. Although it is major, preparing yourself emotionally for high school is also very important. 

First of all, this has been our last year in middle school. The people we've been with for the last three years will be splitting up (at least somewhat), and everything we're used to will no longer be available to us. We will be leaving the pond of middle school and venturing into to the sea of high school. 
 
 
Of course, going to high school is mostly positive. It can be seen as an adventure. We are moving on with our lives and taking one step closer to the "real world." Rather than being with the same classmates your whole life, you can expand your horizons and become friends with new people, thanks to other feeder schools. It's also a lot easier to go beyond grade level to make friends in high school than it is in middle school. The people are more diverse because they know who and what they want to be since they're older. 

For me, my time at Tuckahoe has been a really important time in my life. I've learned a lot, inside and outside of my classes. Most importantly, though, I've made friends whom I love dearly and whom I will have for the rest of my life. Those friends are a constant reminder to me of my great middle school memories. 

I'm also really excited about high school. I will meet new friends and eventually become one of those older and wiser people, as everyone else will. I will never forget my middle school years, though. I can just see myself in the future. I'll be thinking back on my three years at Tuckahoe with a sad smile on my face, reminiscing about the good times I shared with great people. 

My message to the "graduating" eighth-graders: enjoy it while it lasts...very soon we'll be gone, and Tuckahoe will just be a fond memory in the back of your mind. 

Goodbye: a Farewell to a Great Teacher

by Sarah Lynch-Kelly 

 This year is Mr. Grizzard’s last year of teaching gym full time.  Mr.Grizzard is taking early retirement.  When a teacher takes his “early retirement” they must substitute twenty days without pay.  Mr. Grizzard “...will be happy to substitute as a part time job”, after he has caught up with his fishing and golfing.  Tuckahoe’s loss of Mr. Grizzard will be minimized due to his substituting. 
 Along with 32 years of teaching, one meets many students who grow up to be great athletes, doctors, etc.  Mr. Grizzard has seen his share of great athletes as well as teachers. Two of his former students grew up to play professional baseball, Mike Milchin and Jim Pankovitz. Mr. Milchin was also in the Olympics as well as another student of Mr. Grizzard’s, Brandon Pollard. He also remembers one 
student, Hank Stoneburner, who became a surgeon. Mr. Grizzard taught four teachers that presently teach at our school. Two Science teachers and two math teachers. Mr. Didlake, Mrs. Girvin, Mr. Fellows, and Mrs. Lane. He says he remembers too many students to write down, but that he  does remember most. 
  “ I will miss the students, yes, mostly the students. Some teachers say that, yet I really mean it, I will miss them a lot.”  He thanks the four principals he’s seen through, as well as the administration, fellow gym teachers, and the students. “I’ll hope to see other teachers in the future. It almost brings tears to my eyes to share my career with such a great teaching staff, but I will miss the students more than anything.” 

 Please see Coach Grizzard’s  caricature