Throughout that school year of 2002-2003, I heard people refer to us 6th graders as "guinea pigs", because we were the ones who were part of a new effort that District 97 was launching. Of course, the unique part about starting at Julian was not only that it was new for the 6th grade students, but also for many of our teachers, who were embarking on a new stage in their careers moving from the elementary schools to working at the brand new middle school buildings. (At one point after 6th grade, and likely even after graduating middle school, I went back to visit some of my 6th grade teachers, who remarked that they had gotten a new start there at the same time we students did.)
As the first day of 6th grade approached, I knew that I would be part of something momentous as Oak Park District 97 debuted two brand new middle school buildings, which would accommodate 6th-8th graders, blazing teh trail for the middle school experience that hundreds of students would have in the subsequent years. Yet what I didn't fully realize on that first day of 6th grade was that it was a new beginning not only for the building, but also very profoundly for me, starting a powerful personal transformation, and it became apparent to me by the end of 6th grade that something enormously significant had happened.
As I reflect on middle school, I realize that many aspects of the experience tapped into my reflective nature.
I marvel at thinking that just by virtue of when I was born, I happened to be part of the group that would be first to attend 6th grade at the new middle school. It's quite an honor, in some respects, for a group of 11-year-olds to have, adding upon what would otherwise be a typical first day of middle school.
I truly became who I am today because of the very particular set of circumstances that converged in my middle school experience, and if one puzzle piece had been out of place, it all would have been different for me. Among the factors were starting at the time the new middle school was built, being the second of two sons (which gave me a different experience than my older brother had), and coming to middle school in the wake of September 11, a time that caused us to think a lot more intensely about who we are as Americans.
Leaving my part of southern Oak Park to interact with others from all over the village was a chance to experience the diversity that is a hallmark of Oak Park. That was reinforced in many ways, one of which was a unique elective class I had called Arts and Culture. It was a yearlong class, during which we explored the arts and culture of different countries: the United States, Mexico, South Africa, and Japan. It was a wonderful way to learn about these different cultures and get hands on by doing artwork related to those cultures. It was a type of learning that was enriching.
My learning went beyond the classroom to participate in academic competitions, which I did more so in middle school than in elementary school. Beyond just the idea of competing for a prized place was the chance to take academics and engage with it in a more enhanced way, while enjoying it, so that I could feel like I was doing something beyond just studying. I think about how the National Geography Bee was a way to engage with knowledge of the world in a richer way, beyond just the facts.
Furthermore, in the environment of middle school, I reflected much on who I am through learning about others as I was meeting so many new people. Among my new friends and classmates, I met many Jewish people who talked openly about their culture. My 6th grade language arts and math teacher, Mr. Brachman, talked very openly about being Jewish.
I also think about a conversation that my teacher Ms. Kelleher initiated during the opening minutes of our Career Modular Technology elective class one day. She mentioned that she had recently been at the christening of someone in her family. She then asked the Jewish students if they had any similar rite in their religion. At one point, she wanted to steer attention back to focusing on our conservation, remarking, "We're learning about each others' religions [or cultures] here," as she called on me. I felt the urge to bring up something partially unrelated, as I mentioned the day before was the start of a new liturgical year with Advent.
That kind of conversation defined why middle school was so transformative in my life. It was an atmosphere in which we could freely and openly talk about who we are. As a result, I reflected more on who I am and came to appreciate my religion, culture, and ethnicity in a deeper way, more than I had ever before in my life. It was in that frame of mind that I started preparations for Confirmation during 8th grade. Even though the process culminated in my Confirmation after I started high school, middle school still speaks to why Confirmation was so important in my life. As I've said before, I've brought it full circle by teaching middle school RE.
Indeed, with all the self-reflection I did in middle school, it became the first time in my life I started to deeply focus and reflect on the higher aspects of life. So school became about more than just going to class, but was a transformative experience that shaped me. I have so much to celebrate because I still feel the effects to this day.
I'm reminded of Caliban's monologue in The Tempest, which was a play we read in 7th grade language arts class with Mr. Gates. He starts by delcaring, "Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not." He ends by saying, "and then in dreaming, the clouds methought would open and show riches ready to drop upon me, that when I waked, I cried to dream again." I was really nervous starting middle school, but there was so much I came to embrace in the experience, and I was wistful when it was done. It was like a beautiful dream so that when I awoke, I truly wished I could fall asleep and dream it again. I am fortunate that I have been able to live the dream anew in the 17 years since graduating, especially with my Religious Education students.
Even in my nervousness about starting at a new school in 6th grade, there was something, maybe subconsciously, that excited me about entering a brand new building with a modern design. One feature that especially stirred me was the atrium where I could look up four floors while walking through the main corridor of the school. From right outside the entrance of the commons and the auditorium, I could look up four floors and feel inspired that I was in a marvelous place. The inspiration continued through so many experiences in the next three years, and I still feel it 20 years later today.
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| On a visit back to Julian in 2012, I photographed the atrium area inside that looks upward to a sort of skylight above the 4th floor, a view that inspired me as an 11-year-old. |
P.S. I'm in the process of planning a presentation with the OPRF History Museum on the start of Julian Middle School, scheduled later this month on September 23. It will be a live program on Zoom at 11 AM, and it should be available for viewing in archived form afterwards on the museum's YouTube channel.
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