A Sixth Grader at Santa Rita Looks Back

Editor's Note: Los Altos Patch invites graduating students at any level—elementary, junior high, high school or beyond—to reflect on what they experienced and achieved as they prepare for the next step in their lives. 

Santa Rita 6th-grader Nicolina Steele (known as Nikki) wrote this final essay for Mrs. Thordarson's class. She graduated on June 6 and will begin at Egan Junior High School in August.  

By Nikki Steele

To me, the end of elementary school is just the beginning of a new step. Today is just one of the many acheivements I hope to acheive in life. I used to just sit and think, 'When it’s going to end?' And I can’t believe that day is already here.

Everything we have accomplished and everything we have been through has led us to this day. The day we become middle schoolers. 

Sixth grade has been such a memorable year. From the Film Fest to Walden West, everything has been so amazing. And none of this would have ever happened without our most amazing teachers, Mrs. Thordarson and Mrs. Rafferty. I’ll tell you right now, there is no other school I would have rather spent my elementary years at than Santa Rita. I have formed the most incredible friendships that I hope will last a lifetime and everyone has grown so close to each other. It’s kinda like the whole 6th grade is one big family.

I couldn’t have spent the last two years with better people and friends. And let me tell you, I am not big on change. Leaving Santa Rita is hard, and I know I have a long journey FULL of change. We all do. But I know that I will always be welcome back here, to the school I started at, the school I love. 

I’m not going to say my years here were perfect. I’m not going to say that I don’t have any regrets or that I didn’t have any missed oppurtunities. Everyone went through rough patches and good times. But I wouldn’t trade my years here for anything else.

Everything we did led us to where we are today, and today is the day we graduate.