111805 A day in the life at Fox Lane Middle School

BY HANNAH FUCHS

Fox Lane Middle School is a place where 900 students arrive daily with open ears and open eyes. Well, almost. It's about 7:45 in the morning, and everyone is in their own world — thinking of going back to sleep. Tired faces are the widespread expression.

Before classes begin, kids typically gather with their friends in the main hot spots such as the cafeteria or the house lobbies. In FLMS, as the school is called for short, we have three houses: East, West, and South. Each has its own building.

School starts at 8 a.m. with a full day of work. First, we have home-room. Homerooms have a slight twist this year with students of sixth, seventh, and eighth grades mixed together. The purpose of the mixed homerooms seems to be to allow kids of different ages to get to know one another, but it's not clear that everyone likes it this way. Last year, the homerooms consisted of only your own grade — and a lot more of your own friends. Homeroom is pretty predictable, with attendance and announcements. The latter oftentimes aren't quite caught by many, either because students are chatting with a friend or simply drifting off.

Classes begin for real after home-room. assuming you can get there on time. With about 300 kids trying to get to first-period class at the same time, it's a little like our own version of rush hour. Everyone must attack the major challenge hands on — the hallway — our highway to the classroom. Foot traffic in the hallways is usually crowded and slow moving, so a technique often used is barreling one's way through people. Not the best or most friendly way — but, hey, it works. While all of this chaos is going on, the sixth graders hustle to their classes because they tend to underestimate the three minutes they have to arrive on time, while veteran seventh and eighth graders tend to dawdle.

Students have all of their classes in their own house including English,_, social studies, math, and science. Language is the exception, as is gym, art, and music where all of the houses are combined. Gym is every day, and art and music are every other day. In all, students must get through a day of eight periods.

Thankfully, one of these periods is lunch. In many minds, this is the favorite subject of the day (if it qualifies as a subject!). Among other things, lunch means unification. Instead of being confined only with kids in your house, all three houses come together for lunch. Sixth graders have lunch at 10:31. If it seems early, it is, but many kids are very hungry by this time because of the early start to the morning. I know I felt that way as a sixth grader, and I was starving by the time my lunch period came around about 12 noon. Now as an eighth grader, I have lunch at a manageable 11:17; last, the seventh graders grab lunch at 12:03.

Lunch is the only time to really socialize, let energy out, and, well, eat. Students have the choice of buying or bringing lunch. If you are buying, there is pizza available every day with some other hot dish (on Fridays, popcorn chicken is served, which is an all-around favorite, and the line goes on forever). In addition, there is soup and sandwiches. If that isn't enough, there are the very popular vending machines, for the obvious reason that they contain snacks and candy. For 45 minutes, there is a lot of laughter and wide smiles everywhere. Before the lunch period is over, many students walk up to the shelter or upper fields (near the gym) to play sports or just to hang out.

The transition back to classes is sometimes tough. Although some periods go by quickly, others do not, which might lead you to take quick glimpses at the clock. Actually, that really doesn't help because it's like a watched pot that never boils.

It's a long day, believe me, and by 2:20 p.m. it's more than time to leave school. The "evening" rush hour starts immediately after eighth period, with students trying to get to their lockers for books and jackets. Sighs of relief and end-of-day locker slams signify school closing. Of course, the day isn't completely done because we all have homework. For many, school isn't so bad compared to the work that needs to get done at home.

Kids board their buses without a glance back. After all, they know they'll be back soon enough. It's just another day in the life.