Subira Dill

S1 Honors English

As I walk through the congested hallways of the aged Berkeley Institute, my shoes begin to click, while my head journeys for a brief second on a detour to the fairly new, decent two-story building of CedarBridge Academy. Reality quickly returns when I observe children scampering through the ancient building, briskly searching for teachers and/or peers to help them locate their classes. After finally reaching their destination, their footsteps slowly turn into distressed faces. Scanning the room, they spot faces of their peers, but know not what to do, how to react, or what to expect. Their minds also rush back to CedarBridge Academy where there is extensive space, numerous desks and chairs, learning centers within the classroom and fresh air to breathe.

At first, the novelty of moving to a new location negatively affected our learning and we allowed the negativity to get the best of us as we repeatedly complained about the cracked, unclean walls, the grime that flowed throughout the building, and the stench that we often smelt. Though we knew that these conditions were beyond the power of teachers, supervisors and the principals, we continuously grumbled about the situation.

In the midst of learning, my imagination faded back to the times that we had at CedarBridge, not all good, but there was much to remember. As I compare the relatively different buildings, I think of the sizes of schools and classes and also the environment. Visualizing the atmospheres gives me a deeper understanding for the meaning of ?being blessed.? Even though Berkeley is not the CedarBridge Academy or is not as modern, it is still a learning environment and it is up to us to make the best of it. While we may not have the modern technology and resources available as we did at the other location, the one thing we do have is the will to learn, and that far surpasses any machine with its capabilities.

Lela Sujani

S1 Honors English (Letter)

Dear Friend,

I currently attend Cedarbridge Academy (CBA). It is my first year here and I have been enjoying it so far, but something unfortunate has happened recently. A mould has spread throughout the entire school to the point where it is unsafe to re-enter the school building. A lot has happened since this whole situation began, but I have gotten used to it.

CedarBridge students were relocated to a new site, the old Berkeley Institute, which was not being used at the time. The old Berkeley Institute is not as nice (in my opinion) as Cedarbridge Academy, but it is the next best thing to it. Even though the school facility had not been used in a while it is still in good condition. There are things I like at CBA that I do not like at Berkeley and there are even some things at Berkeley I like that I do not like at CBA.

Cedarbridge Academy is fewer than ten years old whilst the old Berkeley Institute is a little over 100 years old. The thing I liked the most at CBA is that it is very large and has plenty of open free space. Berkeley was a little hard to adjust to at first because of the small, narrow and cramped hallways. CBA has wide, large hallways. The layout of CBA?s facility is very well organized. It has two stories and is divided into north and south block. Berkeley?s facility is fairly organized, but different subjects are scattered throughout the entire school. It is divided into the main building, the tower building and Furbert building.

What I do not like are the bathrooms at both schools. They are dirty, always have spilled water, and tissue goes anywhere but in the trash bin. Another thing I am not very fond of is all the flights of narrow stairways at Berkeley; it is good exercise, but they kind of get to you after a while.

These are just the main things I like and dislike and I think being here at the old Berkeley has made me appreciate Cedarbridge more, but do not get me wrong, I can not wait to get back.

Your friend,

Lela

Alicia Martinez

S3 GCSE English

When it was announced that S1-S3 students were to report to the old Berkeley School to continue our lessons, I did not know what to expect. I wondered, ?What kind of condition is that school in, especially having been closed for six months?? Others wondered if we were going to be able to function in the school comfortably and without distractions. Even concerns about the two public high schools being stationed so close to one another came up. Many feared fights and other negative activity between the two schools, hoping it would not occur.

The first day I stepped onto the site, I felt as if I were in a time warp, having traveled back into 1980. Yellow walls and dull lights, the dark halls and black boards! I had not seen a blackboard in years! This was definitely not what we were used to. Maybe when the school was being used by the Berkeley students it was in much better condition, but my first week here was not too comfortable. The bathrooms, not having been operational for six months, were absolutely disgusting: waste backed up, leaving half of us to wait until we reached home to relieve ourselves. Climbing the steps was like a daily hike up Mt. Everest! We were not used to this much climbing at CedarBridge.

The first few days left me feeling as if I were caught in a maze, unable to find my way around unfamiliar terrain. However, after three weeks at the old Berkeley site, I know the place like the back of my hand and find it is not as bad as it seemed at first. Now most of us look at Mt. Everest as a daily workout from which we can benefit. I am thankful that we have use of the building because without it we would be somewhat out of luck. This experience has taught us not to take things for granted and to be thankful for the wonderful things that we have. It has also allowed many of us to grow closer to teachers and students who we had not had a relationship with before.

One drawback of transferring to the building is that some students have chosen to skip some classes or not show up to school at all. I hope they will find their way back to CBA in January and realize how important attending school and getting an education really is in the long run.

Hopefully, in the New Year everything will be back to normal and the CedarBridge Academy family will reunite and continue to produce ?Students of Excellence.?

Denzelle Swan

S3 Honors

When CedarBridge Academy students arrived at the old Berkeley site in Pembroke, a look of dismay came over most of their faces, but they were constantly told it could be worse and to be thankful. As one of those students, I can say that it has not been the best experience of my life nor has it been the worst.

It was obvious that many of the modern day conveniences students enjoyed at CedarBridge were going to be absent at this new location. Things such as specialized rooms for certain subjects, or having enough textbooks, let alone having text books, for respective classes were no longer a privilege. Getting an education meant more than having the resources to learn about a particular subject; it meant learning how to remain focused when another subject was being taught in the same room, sharing teachers between the different campuses, and adjusting to substitutes. In addition, it was impossible to perform in the gym because the facility was too small and there was no equipment.

In spite of what may seem like a chaotic situation, somehow peace reigns within these green walls which have come to symbolize growth. The majority of the student body has gone to classes as directed. More importantly, the student body has come closer together mainly because we, as mature individuals, realized that in order to get over the hurdle, we had to jump together.

Tralita Anderson

S3

When CedarBridge Academy students first transitioned to the old Berkeley site, we all were disappointed and angry because of the sudden change of atmosphere. Everyone was in a state of confusion and had no idea where to go or even what to do. I used to be one of those students who complained about why I was here and searched for something to nitpick about. However, I now realize how lucky we are to have had somewhere to go or else our situation would have been worse.

During the first week of school, every single teacher told us that we needed to be more optimistic about our current situation. One teacher told us specifically to ?play the cards we?re dealt.? In other words, we may have been dealt a ?crappy? hand, but we still needed to stick to it, hang on, and play it out. Who knows, we may even come out on top.

This is not the only good that has come out of this situation. While at CedarBridge, everyone was sectioned off in their own cliques so to speak. Everyone had his/her own group and some students were considered outcasts. Being here at Berkeley has changed a lot. You would think that being in a whole new atmosphere would separate us even more, but the irony of all this is that it has actually brought us closer together. When I look around, I see that some groups have merged together and people have broken out of some of their old groups.

In conclusion, I just want to say that I have really gotten used to the fact that I have been placed here. I am grateful to the Berkeley Educational Society for allowing us to use the property to continue with our studies. Yes, I miss my old school, but I have actually made the best of my time here. In fact, I feel as though I have gotten more focused on my school work. I definitely believe this experience has helped me to have a greater appreciation for what CedarBridge Academy has to offer.