Max Lunievicz: Grade 8
Every year before the Thanksgiving Break, Buckley Country Day School has its Thanksgiving assembly. It traditionally takes place on the Wednesday half-day before the holiday. At this time, the Upper School comes together to perform a music program from their chosen elective: Percussion, Dance, Band, Strings, or Chorus. Students are required to enroll in one of these programs for the entire year staring in fifth grade (although dance is only for students in grades seven and eight). Each of these programs meets on Mondays and Wednesdays to learn new skills and practice for school assemblies. At the Thanksgiving assembly, each of the programs played what they rehearsed, usually one or two songs. This year, the Percussion group played “Where are Ü Now,” the Band played “Over the Rainbow,” and the other music programs performed different dances and songs according to their grade.
Just like for all fifth graders, the jump from the Lower School to the Upper School is a big change. Of course, the academics are a big jump, but the amount of free and transition time we get is also a big adjustment, especially on Fridays. On Fridays, all Upper Schoolers have no recess, longer classes, more classes in a row, no transition time, and most importantly, no snack. I wanted to learn more about why Fridays were like this, so I went to the person who would know most about this: Mrs. Linda Bernard.