Dear Incoming 9th Graders,

What up? My name is Tonya Brown. I am writing this letter to you to help you get prepared for

the 9th grade. There are a lot of unexpected things you should know about Codman Academy. Codman is a

very unique school. The hours are long, but don’t worry! You are going to get used to it. Sometimes after

school, you don’t even want to go home! The school hours are 9am to 5pm. It is harder to focus in the

afternoon, because after physical education you want to relax, but guess what? You can’t! You have to get

right back into class or you will be counted out as skipping class. But don’t sweat it. Anything you say can

get you in more trouble than you already are in, so just chill.

Yo! Let me tell you about myself and more about the school. I am an athlete and if I know y’all

athletes, y’all want to play sports this year. However, if you don’t keep up with your grades, the only thing

you are going to be doing is warming up the bench for your fellow classmates/friends who are playing.

Codman Academy has a lot of opportunities that normal schools do not have. We play tennis twice a week.

What high school do you know that has tennis? You can schedule a meeting with your teachers on any day

of the week except for Sunday to catch up and discuss your work. This opportunity really helped me a lot.

Another opportunity is acting. I love to act. Those people who want to be actors or actresses can get their

start right here at Codman Academy. Codman has a huge partnership with the Huntington Theater. The

Huntington Theater is a place on Huntington Ave. where you get your chance to shine. You will be

reciting poetry and acting.

This school will have you thinking every minute. You will be thinking about people like, am I

going to have friends? Who are my real friends? Are my friends fakes? You will get your questions

answered in the long run. You do not have to worry about the first question because this school is very

small and the students in the school are really friendly, sometimes too friendly. They can take you in and

put you right back out without you even knowing, meaning they will make friends with you then stand you

up leaving you behind. It is like playing a board game; you are the pieces and they are playing you. They

put you up when you’re finished. Let me give you a little advice: watch out for those friendly people. I am

friendly myself, but I am not too friendly. I will say hi and bye, but you are not my friend until I get to

know you. Trust me, I was one of these victims, but don’t get me wrong, you will make a good friend. I

did. She took me in, and she never put me out. I wouldn’t let her and she wouldn’t let me.

In conclusion, Codman Academy is a very good school. They are trying to prepare you for

college and the world. They have a lot of opportunities that normal schools do not have. You will always

stay in shape. You will walk at least one mile every day. I know y’all saying it is going to be tough at this

school, but it is not that tough at all. All you have to do is get used to the rules and regulations, and you

will be all set.

Sincerely,

Tonya Brown (BUFF)

Letters to 9th Graders

Dear 9th graders,

This school is really different from other schools. I know you have heard this

before, but when I say this I mean it in every single way. It is different from the

education, to the school hours, to the discipline system and to the teachers. When you are

in this school, you need to focus all year long. I should know. I was on honor roll for the

first semester. Now it’s the end of the year and I am in danger of failing for the year. If

you’re reading this, that means I’ve found a way to pass.

The work in this school is not that difficult. Deciding if you are going to do it is

difficult. One of my biggest problems is procrastinating. . I can get homework on

Monday and it will stay in my bag until the end of the week. When I get

the work, I tell myself that I will start that day, but I never do it. One thing you should

learn is to take advantage of the time in and after school to do work.

It doesn’t matter how much work you do, if your behavior is bad then you might not

make it in this school. If you are smart like me the work is easy. If you are getting kicked

out of class and getting suspended a lot, you are not going anywhere.

When you come to this school you have to be prepared to work hard, this school is

an opportunity not a privilege. Codman will prepare you for the future. When I say the

future, I mean past college. This school will prepare you for life after school. Welcome

to this school, good luck. You will need it.

Sincerely,

Stephen Santos

Dear 9th graders,

Going to school from 9-5? What? Yeah right!! I know it sounds bad, but it is not

when you get used to it. Pretty soon things will be going past so quickly you won’t even

realize you are in school. It’s not like you’re bored; you always have something to do and

hardly ever have tests or homework. You will eventually get used to the school hours and

soon teachers will be begging you to go home. The way I got through the days was I did

not think about it. Soon I was used to the hours and did not want to go home.

About myself, I am different, with two personalities. I have the serious “I need to

get my work done” personality, but I also have the “I’m down with anything let’s have

some fun” personality. I use these personalities outside of school and during school.

When I need to do my work I know what personality to use. When I want to hang out

with my friends, I know what personality to use. I was the type to always get kicked out

of my classes because I thought it was cute and funny. However, I did not think it was

funny and cute when I tried to pull up my grades. I personally had to stop getting kicked

out of class and at the end I had to pull up my grades.( Trust me it was hard)

When you come to this school, you will discover qualities about people. You will

learn who your friends are and who they are not. (You will realize if you are being

yourself or someone else). There will be times when you try to fit in and people you think

are your friends really are not. You will have to learn how to leave those people alone

because they are just preventing you from achieving.

This school is okay. Even though teachers are constantly on students, we know

they care. All you have to do is stay focused and you can have fun at the end of the day.

At Codman you will have a lot of opportunities. You will have the chance to play

tennis twice a week. You can take law courses or you can get involved in acting through

our partnership with Huntington Theater. Even though we’re a small school, we have big

opportunities.

Even though I may question this school, it still is a good school. You will get

caught up in the exciting social life at Codman, but you should not let that prevent you

from excelling. In the long run, you will be the person suffering. Do not try to impress

your friends by clowning around. Your friends will clown you when you don’t pass.

- Joaquina Wilkins

Dear Incoming Freshmen,

I welcome you to Codman Academy! I hope your first year at Codman Academy

will be a positive one. This school is a good school. It may seem tough, but after a week

or two it won’t be as bad as it might seem. You are in school from nine to five Monday

through Friday, with the possibility of getting out early on Fridays, depending on how

you act. This school is very focused on work and education, so if you’re not here to work,

then this is not the school for you. Also if you like to misbehave, this is not the place.

This school is sometimes strict and if you misbehave, you may end up in Saturday

detention or even worse, suspended.

At this school, doing your work is essential. Trust me! If you don’t do your work,

you’ll end up failing and having to work yourself really hard the next semester. Also, if

you’re a basketball or soccer person, you will not be playing if you don’t have at least a

C. At this school, a D does not cut it. If you have a D that is a failing grade, and you

won’t pass. This school expects you to work to your full capacity and nothing else.

Sometimes teachers can be irritating, but don’t get frustrated or get out of line

with the teacher because that will make it worse. They’re doing this for the best. The

teachers want you to succeed. If a teacher is on you, they’re just trying to help you and

teach you a lesson. If the teacher is on you, they are trying to keep you out of trouble and

stop you from making a mistake that will cost you your career at Codman Academy.

Codman Academy is a great school to go to. If you want to succeed, this is the

school to push you further and to make you do work you never thought you could do.

My advice to you is to do your work and stay out of trouble and you’ll do fine your first

year at Codman. I hope your first year at Codman will be a good one.

Sincerely,

Marcus Richardson

Dear New Freshman,

-

My name is Kyle and I go to Codman Academy Charter School. As a new

freshman, I encountered lots of hard tasks. I was terrible in math. My grades in middle

school were D’s and C’s. They are A’s and B’s now because of this school and the

teachers that push you to do your work. The education here is very hard, but when you

get the hang of the work and hours you will like this school. Coming into this school, I

was very shy because I only knew certain people, but then I learned to socialize with

other kids and I came out of my shell.

Our school is a community because we have Community Circle. Community

Circle is when the whole school comes together and talks. We also have advisory

everyday at 4:30. Advisory is cool because you get to do your homework or play games

if you want. I even found close relationships with some of the teachers at Codman

because of advisory and community circle.

The teachers at Codman are funny, but they are strict when it comes to getting

your work done. They get on your back if you don’t do your work. Ever since I got to

Codman, I stopped being bad. Now my mom always gets good comments about me

because the teachers call and tell her about how I’m doing. When I bring home honor roll

certificates to her, her face lights up with joy. Being on the honor roll was exciting for me

because I’ve never been on it until now. I’m a very hard worker when it comes to doing

my work because I want to stay on the honor roll and my teachers motivate me to stay on

it. It makes my mom proud, too!

I should also advise you about Meg. She turns into the “Megalator” and gets you

if you don’t do your work. This school is very educational and you will learn a lot, but

it’s hard too and you have to keep up with the program. You will have a better future for

college because Codman is a school that prepares you for college. So brace yourself for

lots of work! Come prepared.

Sincerely,

Kyle Juba

Dear incoming 9th graders,

My name is Ashley and I’m going to try to give you some suggestions on how to

make it through this year without having any problems. For academics, I suggest that

you keep up with your assignments if you plan on passing all your classes. The

assignments are the biggest part of your grade. I’m sure there will be one time where you

don’t turn in an assignment you’ll pass, but just don’t make it a habit. This year, I kept up

with all of my assignments and I was able to make honor roll.

There can be time for you to hang out with your friends or be on the phone with

them, but you need to construct your time wisely by having your work done before you

consider doing so. If you plan on hanging out every day, I can tell you already that it’s

not going to work out. During my Freshman year, I was able to hang out with my friends

and talk on the phone, but I always had to make sure that I had time to get my homework

done too.

My advice for you when you get here is to be yourself and don’t try to create any

unnecessary drama for yourself. If you think you can come here and have beef with

everyone, it’s not going to work out for you. You’re going to end up having a few

suspensions that might lead you to an expulsion hearing or you may end up having your

classmates dislike you.

This school day is very long and by the end of the year you get sick of it. Our

hours are probably longer than what you are used to. We also have Saturday classes that

you will get used to after the first few months, so stick with them. Like almost all

schools, some kids have problems and steal your stuff, so now we have lockers, but you

might still want to keep your stuff with you. On the other hand, we also have many

opportunities that other schools don’t have, like frequent college visits and exploration

days on Fridays, where you visit museums and other places that relate to what you’re

studying in Math or Science. If you don’t end up liking the school, try to make the best of

things if you can. Good luck. I’ll see you guys around.

- Ashley Perkins

Dear Incoming Freshmen,

Congratulations for being accepted to Codman Academy Charter School! My

name is Simone Wilson and I’m in the class of 2007. Here at Codman Academy, you

have the opportunity to accomplish anything your heart desires. All you have to do is pay

close attention in class, listen to what the teacher says and always be respectful. There

are lots of opportunities in this school and it would be a shame if you let them go to

waste. In order to make your year here at Codman Academy positive, you have to be a

decent person. When I say a decent person, I mean you have to be mindful of others and

be mindful of their belongings. Choose your friends carefully and wisely and always

show respect to others if you want to be respected.

Here at Codman Academy, the grading system is a lot different than it is in other

schools. Anything below a 70 a (C-), is NC ( NO CREDIT). That means when you

come to Codman Academy, your number one priority is your work. Always remember

that if you don’t pass all of your classes, you will be held back. Yes, it is true that in the

Boston Public School systems you can pass to the next grade with a 65, but here at

Codman Academy you have to work and earn your way to the next grade.

This school is a college preparatory school. Codman Academy’s number one

priority is to make sure you get into a college of your choice. That means if the teachers

have to stay after school with you everyday to help you with something you don’t

understand, then they will. A couple of students went on the Black College tour to gear

them up for schools they can apply to and to introduce them to a wide variety of different

colleges.

In my first year at Codman Academy, I really didn’t find out anything about

myself, but many people are different. Maybe you can find yourself in your freshman

year at Codman Academy. The best advice I can give you is that this school offers you a

lot of opportunity, so take advantage of it. Don’t let anyone tell you can’t achieve what

you want to. Welcome to Codman Academy Charter School!!

Sincerely,

Simone Wilson

Greetings Freshmen,

You don’t know how happy I am that you have made it this far. You have just

entered Level 9 in the video game of education. Of course, there are a lot of things that I

should tell you about high school before you come in all smiles. There are some good

things and bad things about high school (especially this one). My guess is that you want

the good first, because the bad news might keep you staying home from school

mysteriously. So here is your mixed information. The key words you need to know are:

Karma

Focus

Creativity and...

Individuality

Karma, a belief held by the Buddhists, means that if you do something good or

bad, the victim or witness will be able to return the favor. I learned this when I first came

into the school. I did some good things and received penalties and rewards for my deeds

(Yes, you can get punished for good things. My dad once said in a conversation that NO

deed goes unpunished. A punishment is not all bad depending on how you look at it). As

for the bad, I got punished in some way. No one gets the special treatment here. But I try

not to get in trouble with teachers and have succeeded throughout the school year. Some

of the kids are a different story. Some will tell me to be quiet. But if they do tell me to

“shut up” (desperate choice of words), they should know that I only listen to the teachers

(as if the kids have anything interesting to say). Remember, you can get through life if

you just step out of your element a little. Do not be the person to engage in academic and

social resistance.

Focus is the next word. It is the ability to show what you have learned from

the middle school to teach others. It is also the ability to listen to different minutiae

and details. I did 9th grade math and found it a little too easy. So, I did that and 10th

grade homework at the same time. Some 10th graders were shocked, because when I first

came in, I expected work to be a little harder than it was. I found out that I have the

ability to help people who are having trouble with their homework. As of now, I am

wondering how far my ability to do math equations from 10th grade will get me into next

year. So those coming in, do not be afraid to show your abilities. This was not meant to

sound conceited or anything, but I felt like I had a gift to help those who were having

trouble in mathematics. Also, I am a good advice giver, but I digress. Anyway, focus is

something you must have everyday to get where you want to go.

Creativity is something I have a lot of. You can be creative in drawing, writing, or

in starting an argument and debating. What that has to do with creativity is reliable

resources and working with ways to state opinions. So those with creativity, go for it.

Just save it for when it is most needed, okay? And mind you, you don’t need it all of the

time. Just when you feel you need it the most.

Individuality will indeed get you far, but save your negativity. None of us at

Codman need it. Let me tell you how individuality got me through. When I came to this

school, I was a diligent, knowledge-harnessing, rock, Indie and electronica fan. When I

first came in, I was nervous. I was afraid that I would be categorized in a clique or crowd

that meant absolutely nothing to the human race. I walked around Merrowvista (that is

where we all will be going for 3 [partly agonizing] days), I discovered I was

venustraphobic. In other words, I was afraid of “celebrity cute” women (see Kyla Pratt,

Lisaraye, Lindsay Lohan) ...and I still am. Before going to Merrowvista, I had a vision of

the media-influenced cliches about high school. Most of them are true. One of them being

the fact that some of the kids want to fall in love with you or believe you will fancy them

as soon as you walk through the door. Ever since I took a trip to Merrowvista, I found

that a band called the Cramps described my situation better, because as days went by, I

became “The Most Exalted Potentate of Love”. (I hope I am not showing off my

vocabulary skills. Am I? If not, skim through. If so, that means I was amorously or

romantically a powerful force. To narrow it down, some women had a crush on me.) It

was so weird. I wanted to just stroll through school a happy loner. Of course, high school

can be like a cult or a chain gang; they won’t leave you alone until you join them.

Someone will push you into a clique of some sort. The next cliche that I found to be true

was that women and men both clash for respect and attention from each. Guess what?

Women and men might get along sometimes (but Pat Benatar said it better. “Love is a

battlefield,” meaning that there can be a lot of chauvinism flying around, especially when

the same sex is bumping heads with you). Sorry if I talk too much about me, but I am a

boy with a little girl in my soul (I am not afraid to admit it). Everyone has a little boy or

girl in them (We are just afraid to admit it). So, for me (as for you), it can be pretty easy

to get along with others. Just lay off the ideas that portray modern interaction the wrong

way. Also, there will be some people who are quite popular, but are going to make it

pretty easy to pick a bone with. Look out for people like them. They will drag you down

in this school.

I also forgot to say that you are better off listening to our principal, Meg. If what

you hear from her doesn’t make any sense, question her. She is the principal. She is the

zookeeper of the zoo, so to speak. I am just an animal enjoying my habitat. So, if you

need any help with school, ask Meg or the teachers. They are not doing anything to make

you miserable. They are just trying to boost you into life by helping you out with your

career. Most will say what does matrices have to do with singing? Not much. But there is

also a backup plan to have that could involve math.

The point I am trying to make is that Codman will help you with a lot in this

school. The No. 1 thing that is the best in this school is the academics. Not the girls, not

the sports, but the academic level. Mind you, I don’t care how insane you think I am. The

academics are well taught! You might think I came out of the insane asylum after hearing

that I also miss the demerits from my old school, because the punishment given by the

teachers are reasonable, but I digress. Enjoy school. Did I mention that you have to walk

to all of your classes? Even to gym which is in assorted places? Come back to me and

tell me if school isn’t worth the exercise. Now that you know what is of modern high

school, if you want ask me or anyone else for advice on the school. I know about it.

Your New Friend,

Christopher Bynes

Dear Incoming 9th graders,

My name is Taylor Joyner. I’m 16 years old. Last year, I got held back because I

was always in trouble. It is a hard adjustment to go to high school, but you have to do it.

When you make the change, do it quickly because the more time you waste, the more

work you have to make up, then you fall behind and you fail.

One thing you need to know is that there are a lot of projects in this school. It’s a

small school. If you go through the right channels, you can get a lot of help with your

projects. At times, you may have several projects going on in one class! All you need is

good time management and you will get them done. I know you are saying, “How can

she tell me this, and she didn’t do it herself!” I’m telling you from past experience. DO

YOUR WORK!

This school has a lot of good sports, but you can’t play any sports if your grades

aren’t up to par. They have: Tennis (which is my favorite) Softball, Baseball, Soccer,

Lacrosse and Basketball. Next year, they are trying to get a swimming team. So all of you

who are interested in swimming, you can have one if you just show enough passion for it.

You have to get along with your teachers because if you need extra time on

assignments and you’re a bad/not so great student they won’t go that extra mile for you.

Some of the teachers are okay.

In conclusion, you shouldn’t really worry about anything except your homework.

That is all you need to be a successful student here at Codman Academy.

Yours Truly,

Taylor Joyner

Dear Incoming Freshmen,

Welcome to Codman Academy Charter School. If you want to be a successful

freshman this year, here is some advice on how to do that. If anything, you should try to

adjust to the schedule. We go to school from nine to five, Monday through Friday and

nine to noon on Saturdays. The good thing is you get two extra hours of sleep every

morning compared to other schools, but you get out of school two to three hours after

everybody else.

A good way to start off right is to try not to get kicked out of class a lot so you

won’t be on the teacher’s bad side. I had to learn the hard way because at the beginning

of the school year I use to get kicked out of class all the time for talking and laughing. I

got written up in “the book” for that and as an result I almost had an automatic

suspension hearing.

The main thing about being a successful freshman is actually being successful in

school and getting promoted to the tenth grade. To accomplish this, stay on top of your

school work, homework and projects. I wish I had done that at the beginning of the year

because it beats having to play catch up half the year, which I had to do.

To wrap this up, being a successful freshman at Codman Academy is not that

hard. You just have to come prepared and ready to work, basically be a model student.

This means staying on top of your work, not getting kicked out of class a lot and staying

in uniform so Meg won’t be on you all day about getting into uniform. Looking forward

to seeing you next year!

Sincerely,

Mark Nicholson

Dear Incoming 9th graders,

My name is Rondell Bernard and I want to tell you about my experience at

Codman Academy. Here at Codman, we go to school from nine to five. At first it’s going

to seem like a long time to be in school. After a while, you will get used to being in

school from nine to five and eventually start staying later than regular hours. I noticed

that with this school I was staying out of trouble more because of the school hours. You

will also get a better education because you will be in school longer which means longer

classes.

At this school, we concentrate more on academics than anything. At Codman you

will have to do all of your work in order to succeed. Teachers will try their best to keep

you after school if you are failing. The teachers do these kinds of things to see that you

succeed and get to the next grade. The best advice I can give you is to do your work. If

you do your work, it will help your grades for when you get to the tenth grade.

There is a thing called advisory at this school, which is like a class but it isn’t. It’s

a time where you sit with a bunch of other kids in your advisory and talk. My advisor is a

teacher named Thabiti. At times I feel like he is the only teacher I really trust because he

is my advisor and the main person I talk to about my problems. Most of the time advisory

is at the end of the day. In advisory, you talk about your grades and you also go places

like movies, arcades, and stuff like that. You just have to plan it. It helped me because

last year I wasn’t so good with my grades and got kept back and now I use my advisor as

an advantage to help keep me on track with my grades.

We also learn to play tennis at club called Sportsman’s. You will enjoy playing

tennis because a lot of kids have come into this school saying tennis is boring, but when

they started playing have liked it. We are trying to start a tennis team and most likely you

will have a team started for you to play on. If you don’t know how to play tennis, try and

you will catch on quickly. It is easy. I hope you enjoy being at Codman. Do your work

and you will succeed.

Sincerely

Rondell Bernard

Welcome 9th Graders ,

I аm Minnetta, but for a short you can call me Mimi or Net Net. I am 15 years old

,but I will be 16 really soon. When I started at Codman, it was extremely hard for me to

meet new people because I was and still am a very shy and quiet person. Coming to this

school made me scared because I didn't think I could ever fit in. Your advisory will

make you feel more welcome to this school. Going on the camping trip to Camp

Merrowvista helped me get to know people, too. You get to stay with your advisory and

do team work activities that teach you a lot. During the time you are at Camp

Merrowvista, you will find your true friends or people that you talk to more than others.

Codman Academy is a really tough school. This school is like a new age Boston

Latin. Even though the hours are long, toward the middle of the school year you will get

used to them. I know six days a week seems hard, but if you want to go to college this

school will help you and so will the teachers. They always have your best interest at

heart. Even if you’re going through some issues at home or just in general, there are

people that can help you, Meg ( head of the school ) can get to help for you too.

December was the hardest month for me because my mother had a stroke and I had to

take finals. Codman was very supportive of me and my family, and helped me through

this difficult time. I thank them for that so much. I don't think you could ever get

аnything like that from another school.

Being at Codman does give you a lot of advantages for the world. The time you

go to school is just to push you to be ready for the world and real life. CACS is the

hardest school, but usually when you do hard things there is a greatest reward waiting for

you later on. This school gives you privileges and responsibilities as if you were a young

adult, but they can be taken аway if you prove you are not mature enough to handle them.

This school gives you such an advantage for life. After being here for only one year, I

have gotten to know so many people that I will remember for the rest for my life. All the

teachers care so much about you and have such high expectations for you when you come

into this school, so if I were you I wouldn't let them down. Have a good year and if you

try your hardest you will greatly appreciate it later on. Your efforts will not go

unnoticed.

Good luck ,

Minnetta Mckenzie

Dear Incoming 9th Graders,

My name is Shanice Molina, but you can call me Neice for short. I live in

Dorchester, and I'm currently in the 9th grade. I am writing this letter to inform you about

my year in Codman Academy.

Codman is a small community where everybody gets along. You will be with

these kids until you graduate. It’s good to talk to your peers if you got a problem with

something, that what I did. I learned its better to ask for some help, because it’s better

than being confused in the long run. You also need to use your time wisely, since the

school day is 9-5 you really have to pace your self. You can also stay after school if you

need help with homework or help in general. Teachers are not here to make your life

miserable, trust me!

Secondly, your friends can make you or break you. What I’m trying to say is

your schoolwork comes first and your friends come last. At the beginning of the year I

chose my friends over my work. My grades came out at the end of the semester and I got

the aftermath of taking my friends over work, bad grades. The things I noticed over the

years is that people care so much about their friends, they just come to school to talk and

hang around with their friends. This is not the school, and I repeat this is not the school

for that. If you come to this school you have to focus. If you stay focused you will excel

in everything.

Lastly, the classes we take are Biology, Humanities (3 hr class), and Algebra.

These classes were okay. Algebra is the one that gave me the most trouble had to get help

after school. Since I stayed my grades improved. In order to pass these classes, you have

to pass with at least a 70, anything below is an NC and you have to repeat the whole year.

I personally would not want this for you, and I know you wouldn’t want that either. But

its up to you, so believe in your self and you can achieve in anything . . .

One love,

Shanice “Neice” Molina

P.S- * If you need anything just let me know. I always look out for little people! (I was

once one)

Dear Incoming 9th graders,

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kerlyne Cenafils. Attending Codman

Academy was an unusual experience for me this year because I never went to school for

more than six hours a day. Yes, it was tough to stay in school eight hours a day, but as

the year continued, I actually got used to it because we have long classes and gym, tennis,

or lunch in between.

Getting kicked out of class was like a roller coaster ride for me. There were even

times when I got kicked out of the same class twice! A word of advice: Try not to get

kicked out of class. Trust me, there will be consequences, such as missing out on a lot of

important things or getting written up in “the book”, which will most likely lead you into

getting a suspension hearing.

I would have to say that the best time I had in my first year attending Codman

Academy was getting to play on the basketball team. It was fun because it was my first

experience playing on a basketball team and basketball is my favorite sport. If you want

to get involved in any sports, I advise you not to wait until the last minute to bring up

your grades. Try to get honor roll because you’ll be rewarded.

Lastly, I would just like to welcome you to Codman Academy. I hope that you

feel as welcomed as I did. Expect to learn a lot this year because you’ll be spending a lot

of time at this school. Try to focus more on your work and worry less about the things

that are happening around you.

Have a great year!

Sincerely,

Kerlyne Cenafils

Dear Incoming 9th Grader,

My freshman year was the hardest school year of my life. I did not have a smooth

transition. The transition was especially difficult for me because the two schools were

very different. I have never been to a charter school before, so I didn’t know what to

expect. Everything was so new to me. It was hard to come from the top and go back to

the bottom.

Being in school nine to five wasn’t something that I was used to. Leaving school

at five was the hardest thing I had to cope with. Every night I would come home and

choose between chilling with my friends and doing my Homework. Seventy percent of

the time I would decide to chill with my friends. My grades suffered because of my poor

decision making.

My grades were terrible the first term. I wasn’t failing because the work was too

hard, I just didn’t know how to manage my time. School wasn’t one of my priorities. I

wasn’t taking my school work seriously enough. I wasn’t working to full my potential.

Every time someone talked to me about my grades, I would make excuses for myself. I

didn’t realize that they were actually trying to help me improve my grade. My grades

gradually improved because I learned from my mistakes. My time management skills did

improve, but from time to time I do put aside some of my assignments.

My favorite experience of the ninth grade was Camp Merrowvista. At Camp

Merrowvista, I did things I never did before such as climbing, making a raft, hiking, and

make ice cream. Even though these activities were fun, every one of them had a reason

behind it. These activities helped me to learn how to work as a team. Working in a group

is a skill that is required in order to be successful.

The school year has been so difficult it helped me become a better student. I am

not saying I am going to be a straight A student next year, but I did learn from my

mistakes. Honestly I have to say this school is my home away from home. I have strong

bonds with a lot of people in this school including teachers. You can compare Codman

Academy to a small community. I am not saying Codman Academy is a perfect school,

but it pulls always together at the end.

Don’t make the same mistake I did. See you next year.

Sincerely,

John Cribb

What up incoming 9th graders,

My name is Brandon Holmes and I’d like to be one of the first people to welcome

you to Codman Academy. I can’t really give you a lot of info about Codman because I

started here 3 months before the end of school. However, I have to write at least four

paragraphs to the new 9th graders, so I’ll think of something.

One thing that is important for you to know is to do all your work. If you don't do

your work, chances are you are going to fail. Most of the tests and quizzes are easy, so

you really don't have to worry about them if you stay on top of your work, like me. By

the way, if you have Lori as your Humanities teacher, do all of your current events,

because if you don't they will come back to bite you. I know this because I’ve only done

one and it’s coming back to bite me.

If you’ve never played tennis before, get ready because it is one of the sports you

have to play here at C.A.C.S. When I first started here, I never really played tennis, but as

time has passed I have seen improvement in my game. At first, tennis might not seem to

be fun, but after a while you’ll get into it.

Codman Academy isn’t that bad after a while, personally I didn't really want to

come here, but I like it now. The people are cool and the work is easier here then at my

old school. Make sure you do all of your homework and class work so your grades are

high. Stay out of trouble by not getting kicked out of class and by getting to school on

time and you should be all right. I guess I’m done because that's my fourth paragraph. I

hope ya’ll have fun here at Codman Academy. I’ll see ya’ll kids around.

Your Buddy,

Brandon

P.S. If you mess with my teachers we will have problems.

Just playin’.

Dear incoming ninth graders,

My name is Shataya Spriggs. Everyone calls me Taya, so remember that !

Anyways, I want to talk to you about Codman Academy Charter High School. As you

may know, our school hours are from 9 to 5. That’s a long time, but you will get used to

it after a while. We do have half days, but only when the school has a certain reason for

it. We have gym and tennis after lunch, which is at 12. For gym, we go to Epiphany

school and play basketball and sometimes kickball. When we have tennis, we walk to

Sportsman’s and we practice. If you are good at tennis, you go to the other side of

Sportsman’s to be on the team.

Codman Academy is not like any other school. We are a college preparatory

school, which means we prepare you for college. We go on college visits. We learn how

to interpret Shakespeare and how to write good essays. I almost forgot to tell you that we

also have school on Saturdays from 9 to 12. The classes are fun, depending on which

class you pick. I had a class on AIDS and I learned a lot of things about how you can

catch the disease. It also helped me to break down some of the stereotypes associated

with AIDS. My other Saturday class was Oedipus. It was about a man who killed his

father and married his mother. The plot sounds crazy, but it was very interesting.

There are a lot of things you should know about Codman. First of all, we are a

school that focuses on academics. The teachers are here to help you, but don’t think you

are going to pass on your personality. You can be nice, but you can still fail. Codman is

not for the drama either. There is absolutely, positively no fighting whatsoever. So, if

you have a problem, tell someone or squash it immediately.

We do have fun here, though. We go on a lot of field trips, like the children’s

museum and colleges. One of the colleges we visited was Emerson College. We also

have theater classes at the Huntington Theater. We study plays and perform them. One of

the plays that we studied was “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. We did a

performance of that play before Christmas break. It was fun! At Codman, the teachers

take us to go see plays. This year we saw “Romeo and Juliet,” and many others. As you

can tell, we are a school that does a lot of things off campus. It’s more fun and it keeps

you interested. Another fun thing we do at the beginning of the year is go to camp

Merrowvista. The whole school goes on a big bus to New Hampshire to get to know each

other. You also stay in a cabin with your advisory and talk about anything you want.

We have same sex advisories, where we talk about school or problems you have.

It’s confidential, so you don’t have to worry about people telling your business. We are a

community and we care about each other, so you will feel at home when you come to

Codman Academy. Kids complain about the hours, but when 5:00 comes people want to

stay even longer. This school is important to a good amount of people, so we are really

looking forward to you coming here and bringing something to the table. See you soon.

Sincerely,

Shataya “Taya” Spriggs

Dear incoming ninth grader,

I’m writing this letter to tell you what this school is all about. The first thing to

know about Codman Academy is that the work isn’t easy and the teachers will be on you

to get your work done. One of the most important things to know is that you have to go to

school from 9 to 5 on weekdays and 9 to 12 on Saturday.

If you come to this school, you will have a lot of opportunities for college and

they will give you the help you need to get there. One of the main reasons I came to

Codman was because it was a small school. This school has made my life very different

because of the hours and Saturday classes. So, if you have things to do after school you

may want to put them off for another time.

- Jonathan Roberts

Dear: New 9th Graders

Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi!!! You are new in high school! Now it’s time to get those good

grades, so you can get into a good college. This is a really great school. You may have

some problems, but it will work out for you. By the way, my name is Sherica Aljoe.

You’ll get to know me because this is a really small school.

C.A.C.S is a really small school, but right now, it looks kind of big because you

may not know some or most of the people here. I know! When I first walked down that

one way street, I was scared because I did not know all the people crowding around the

school. When you get to 10th grade, you will be one of those people in that crowd at

beginning of the school year.

The school day is hectic because the day is from 9 am to 5 pm. You have a 3 hour

Humanities class. Humanities is a class that mixes English/ Language Arts and Social

Studies. Yes, 3 hours of 2 subjects you may not like, but you will get used to it, especially

if you have a teacher like Lori, who is my Humanities teacher. You will have time to do

some home work during class. Oh yeah, Saturday class! It’s fun, but you can get kind of

tired. My first Saturday class was Masterpiece Art. The teacher’s name was Penny. I

can’t draw that well, but when we were working on a project and had to pick a picture

and paint it, and my picture came out really good. I had lots of fun in that class.

I went to the Grover Cleveland and, yes, I am an ex “Grover Roach.” I never

really got A’s and B’s, but I did not get D’s and F’s. So, I was always getting C’s. You

know how the first semester of school you get bad or not so good grades? Well, I got B’s

in the first semester here. The reason for that is I was doing all my homework and I did

not miss work at all!!

I really like this school. Although it is a great school, we have some problems I

know we can count on you to be a young adult and not get an attitude adult certain things.

I hope that you guys will come to any one of us 10th graders if you need help because we

are all a community. Have fun at Codman! Bye bye bye!!!

Sincerely your new friend,

Sherica Aljoe

Dear Incoming Freshmen,

Codman is different from any other high school. At Codman, you attend school

from 9-5pm Monday-Friday and on Saturdays from 9-noon. At Codman, the teachers

prepare you for college, so when you get there you’ll already know what it’s about

because you’re more ahead of the game than others. Codman is a great school, as long as

you put your mind to it, attend school every day and understand what your teachers are

teaching you.

Codman teaches you how to interact with others. If you are shy, you’ll get out of

that because at Codman we do a lot of acting and presenting plays, poems and writing.

For the first couple of weeks, you may not be interactive but you will be because we do a

lot of interactive activities. Codman also teaches you how to interact with the real world

because of MUN. For Model United Nations, we get split up and assigned countries. This

year we had to write about water, the death penalty and energy. MUN is very difficult if

you don’t know what you’re doing. After you finish your research and write ups, you

think it’s over, but then there is a two day long conference to see what you have done.

MUN is a big part of your grade. It involves a lot of hard work and knowing what you’re

doing.

As I said before, Codman is a great school. Codman can be hard at times,

especially if you came from another in the middle of the year, like I did. At first, I said I

wanted to leave because of the hours. Even though the school hours are difficult, many

people get used to them, but I’m still not used to them yet. The head of the school can be

difficult at times, but if you really get to know her, she is a cool person. I’m glad you

chose this school! Some people might call you stupid because you chose a school that

goes from nine to five Monday-Friday and nine-noon on Saturdays, but this school really

helps you become smarter than you were before. Codman can get you a lot of places in

life, but there is a lot of work to do. Overall, It’s a great school. If you come here and

mind your business, you’ll be really great in this school, but you have to complete your

work, too because that’s one of your passing requirements.

Sincerely,

Tatiana Hurse

Dear incoming 9th graders,

Welcome! My name is Joya and the 9th grade year isn't a joke. The school isn't

exactly what they made it seem like in your interview. You stay in school from 9-5 and

there aren't many days, well no days, to get out early, that is why you have to think about

the choices you make.

When you start school, the first couple of days will be hard. You keep looking at

the clock and saying to yourself, “I’m never going to get out of here.” After a few

months, you should be used to it. When I started school at Codman, I was so mad that I

had to sit and wait until 5:00 to get out of school. When I got home, I didn’t have any

time to go outside with my friends because by the time I actually got off the bus, it

seemed as if it was time to get ready for the next day of school. Manage your time wisely,

especially when the hot days come around. Your work is more important then playing

and not doing what you have to do. The more honor roll report cards, the better your

chances of getting into colleges. I advise you to do your work at all times, don't play in

class and make sure you pay attention because your final exams will smack you across

the face if you don’t!

Before I enrolled in Codman, I was so used to getting out of school around 1:00

and having free time to do the things I wanted to do after school. Now that I go to

Codman, I have Saturday class, which is a lot of school time. I advise you to pick a

Saturday class that you are interested in because sitting in a class that you don't click with

will make the hours seem like forever. My Saturday class is interesting. I am in the

African Diaspora. The class is O.K., but I like art better. Even the 11th graders, who

have been here since 9th grade, struggle with the hours. Most of them complain about

being here until 5:00. They figure, “How can I get a job being in school so long?” Like I

said before, MANAGE YOUR TIME WISELY and think about your choices.

As far as you coming to Codman, I hope you understand where I’m coming from.

I also hope you have made the right choice. This school may not be what you thought it

was going to be. This school is not a joke. There's no time to play, so stay focused and

good luck!

Sincerely,

Joya

Dear Incoming 9th graders,

What’s good? This is Jessina (aka SMURF) I am a 9th grader and I am 17. You

are probably wondering why I am in the 9th grade when I should be a junior. Well, let

me tell you about the school and I will tell you where I messed up. This school goes from

9-5 and on Saturday 9-12. Yes, it is pretty long, but I got used to it and you will too. This

school is ok, if you do your work and get it done.

The teachers at this school are the most caring teachers you will ever find, at least

some of them. They help you ONLY if you ask. If you are willing to try, they will help

you. They will give you a lot of work to do and a lot of time to do it. This is where I

messed up. I never asked for help and I never did my work. I waited until the last minute

to do my homework. I always went home and talked on the phone and talked all night,

while the people I was talking to was doing their work. The thing is, I did my class work

and when I did do my homework I did well on it so I am telling you to do your work,

don't give up and NEVER PROCRASTINATE.

You go on field trips and you also have field days. Examples of the field days will

go on are Architecture places and the Huntington Theater. You also go on college visits

and work on the showcase. The Showcase is a play that the Huntington and the school

put on at the end of the year.

Just to let you know, you will like this school once you get used to it. This school

is a good school, once you know what you have to do and do it. You will make a lot of

new friends, but don't let that be the only thing that you are worried about. Like I said, do

your work and don't give up, You will get far in this school if you try. Don't make the

same mistake I did. Aight peace

Good Luck,

Jessina A.

Dear Incoming 9th Graders,

My name is Bruce Baptista and I am a 9th grader going into the 10th grade.

Codman Academy is a school where you study hard and prepare for college. You always

have to keep your head up and never let it drop down. Lots of people think the school is

easy in the beginning because they give very little homework, but towards the end they

start to fail. You start failing when you slack off and don’t do your homework. Some

people were ready to play sports, but they started to fail because they didn't do their

homework. If you want to play sports, you have to be passing all your classes. I passed all

my classes and I got to play any sport that I wanted. Two things that you need to do to

pass all your classes are homework and revisions.

Adjusting to Codman was easy for me because I used to go to the Epiphany

school, which had a 12 hour school day. I was always in school and couldn't do anything

outside because I always went home late. My friends used to laugh at me because I was

always at school. Now my friends are in the streets and going to jail almost every day. I

learned that school can get you somewhere in life. It is fine to be in school all day

because you are not in danger when you’re in school.

This year I learned that this school is a college prep-school and the work doesn't

do itself. When I got to this school, I was really happy because I had to go to school from

9 to 5. I got to get out earlier and start school later. We get out of school later than public

schools because some start at 7 and we start at 9. That's more sleep for us and we do

better in MCAS. MCAS is important and you need lots of sleep to pass.

So in closing, welcome to Codman Academy! We are glad to have you, class of

2008. Someday your day will come to be the 4th graduating class at Codman Academy.

Good luck! Hope to see you in school.

Sincerely,

Bruce Baptista

Dear New Ninth graders,

I would like to welcome you to CACS. When you come to CACS, this will be one

of the biggest steps you will ever take in life besides college. You will go through bad

times and you will go through good times. The school hours are long, but you will get

used to it.

When I first started at CACS, I was so silly. I was always getting kicked out of

class for making bad choices. By the middle of the year, it wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t

that great either. In the beginning of the year, things start off slow and easy, but by the

time Christmas vacation passes, it will get hard. Instead of worrying about your friends,

you should be more worried about passing your classes.

The days are going to be long and hard, so you’re going to have to learn to

manage your time. You think talking on the phone is going to be helpful to you? It’s not,

trust me. There are going to be times when you want to play on the sports teams, but if

you’re not passing, you won’t be playing anything. When you’re outside with you’re

friends or on the phone you should think twice about what kind of activities you want to

do here at Codman. I had to think twice.

I think one of the most fun things that we do at CACS is the trip to Camp

Merrowvista for three days. We go at the beginning of the year. When we go out there,

it’s mad fun hanging out with your advisory, doing the ropes course and eating the food.

When I went, getting to know my advisory was one of the main things we did. One of the

funniest moments was at lunch when one of my advisory members, Shawn Robinson,

challenged me to a food eating contest and he beat me.

The school can be the most horrible or exciting experience, but it’s about how you

make it. Make the school, don’t let the school make you. Life is what you make it.

Sincerely,

Alex Brewer

22 letters (9 missing?)

Re-Send in paste:

EBONIE

Dear Incoming Ninth Graders,

My name is Ebonie Pearson. Attending Codman Academy has been a very

difficult but interesting experience. This school has its ups and its down, just like any

other high school. At CACS, we try to see things in a positive way. This school feels like

we are a family and that we are a community. It was very difficult for me to adjust to

going to school and making time for my friends and family. Going from my middle

school to this school was a very hard transition because the hours were very different

from when I was in middle school. I went to school from 7 to 1 o’clock. We go to school

Monday - Friday from 9 to 5 and then on Saturday from 9 to 12.

This year is also hard because at first I was always getting into trouble. I wasn’t

focused when I got here. I can remember the first two months of school when I just kept

getting kicked out of class almost every day. I have had several suspensions of which I

am not proud, but I have changed my ways. After my third suspension hearing, I knew

this school was not a joke. If I wanted to stay in this school with my new friend getting

kicked out of class was not going to get me anywhere. This school has no patience for

rude behavior. Meg has no problem with giving a suspension if you yell and act rude

toward her. Even though she will give you a suspension, she will also help you if you

need her.

One of things we do at this school is go on at camping trip at the beginning of the

school year for three days to bond with your advisory and with the other people in your

school. Advisory is when you come together with a group of kids at the end of the day

and talk about your problems. My advisor’s name is Lori and she is one of the best

teachers that this school has. You can talk to her about anything and she will try her best

to help you if you want to be helped. Another thing we do in this school is play tennis.

Yeah, I said tennis; a lot of people say tennis is boring but actually its really fun when

you get used to playing.

My advice for you when you get to this school is to be yourself and don’t bring

any unnecessary drama to yourself because it’s not going to work. All you are going do is

get yourself a suspension hearing and it’s not really worth it. I suggest that if you are

having problems with other people that you confront them in a nice matter and if that

doesn’t work talk to your advisory. My other advice is for you to get your work don. Do

not procrastinate on your projects and other homework assignments because they will

keep on buildings up and you will never get them done.

This school has many opportunities that other schools don’t have. We get to go

on college visits. We get to go on Field day on Fridays. If you don’t like this school right

away, just try to think about the positive things about this school and not the negative and

you will get through the year.

I’ll see ya around,

Ebonie

Dear 9th grade,

Hi, my name is Jenna. When I first heard that my mother signed me up for this

school, I was like “What is Codman Academy?” When she explained it to me, I said there

was no way I was going to this school. I know exactly how you might be feeling right

now. The long days from 9am-5pm, you probably feel the same way I did, but it’s ok

because you will get used to it just like I did. But then, here comes Saturday class, ruining

your whole weekend schedule. There's that party you want to go to, but it doesn't end

until 1 am and you know you have to go to school in just a couple of hours. It’s not as

bad as you think. Trust me. You will get a lot of days off from Saturday class because of

holidays, spring break and all the vacations we have.

Codman Academy was probably not a lot of people’s first choice in a school

because not a lot of kids want to go to school from 9am-5pm when they can be going

from 7:45am-2:40pm. This is a school of many rules and not a lot of freedom. The

middle school you came from probably gave you more freedom than you will get here.

However, Codman is a school that wants the best for you, no matter what it takes. You’re

also probably worried about the uniforms, but trust me they’re not as bad as you think.

The uniforms are actually easier to deal with because you don't have to worry about

having a new outfit for everyday of the year and waking up in the morning looking for

something to wear. When I was looking for a high school, I didn't want to go to a school

with a dress code because I had one ever since I was in the first grade. After coming here,

wearing the uniform is actually not as bad as I thought it would be, even though it took

me a while to figure that out because I never gave it a chance. The main thing you should

take from this letter is that you should look on the bright side of everything.

If you went to the freshmen orientation, you probably were promised a lot of

things. You were probably told you would have off campus lunches every Friday of the

year. My class, unfortunately, didn't get that privilege because a few people decided to

act up off campus and the school received many reports. Since we are supposed to be a

community, we as a class couldn't have any more off campus lunches on Friday. We did

eventually earn it back, but my advice to you is to make sure that not only you, but also

your classmates are behaving because their actions will affect you. Getting all these

privileges all counts on whether you use or abuse them. Don't come to Codman with a

bad attitude because all that attitude will transfer to the other students and then we’ll have

a freshmen class full of attitudes like my class was. My year at Codman didn't go as well

as it should have because I, along with many others, came here with bad attitudes which

made it harder to get through the year. If you come here expecting Codman to be a bad

school, then it will come out the way you think.

Lastly, this is a very small school, so there will be a lot of drama. The best way to

not get all caught up is to do what I did and stay focused on your work, not on what

people are talking about. Everyday it’s always something new and if you’re not careful,

you will end up in the middle of it. You should pick your friends at the beginning of the

year because you’re going to need them as the year goes on. Another thing you should

know is that you can’t trust everyone because everyone is not your friend, even if they

seem like they are. Hopefully this will help you to have a better year then I did an

Codman. I think if I had had this advice, my year at Codman would have gone much

better then it did

Sincerely,

Jenna Marseille

Dear Incoming Ninth Graders,

First let me say welcome to Codman Academy. The advice that I would like to

give to you when you come is, come to Codman Academy ready to succeed; you can put

your mind to anything that you would like to do in the future. Come to Codman Academy

like you know what you are doing, because if you come here thinking you don’t have to

do the work, I feel sorry for you, because you won’t succeed. Codman Academy is a high

qualified high school, because not all high schools get you ready for college easily; not

all high schools give you the chances Codman Academy does, for an example: When you

are in a normal high school acting like a clown, not getting your work done, skipping

school, and causing trouble, the teachers there will give up on you, because they would

think if you’re doing all that, why stay on your back?, but not here at Codman, the

teachers here want you to pass so bad, that they would do anything to get you to do some

work.

Codman Academy Charter School (CACS) isn’t like a normal high school (as I

pointed out to you earlier), where you wake up around 6:00, and get home around 2:00. A

typical day at Codman is you come to school at 9:00 (no later), have a 3 hour class called

Humanities, from 9:00 to 12:00, eat lunch from 12:00 to 12:35 ( if you have tennis) or

12:45 ( if you have gym), go to any course gym or tennis, from 1:00 to 2:00, come back

to the school at 2:00, have a 1 hour and 30 minute block of Math, and an 1 hour and 30

minute block of Biology. Don’t get the wrong idea about the courses you go to from 1-2

because the principal named Meg has the girls go to tennis one day and boys go to tennis

the next day, while the girls go to gym that day and the boys go to gym the following

day. On Wednesday we have this thing called Community Circle, where the whole school

goes to this area called the Great Hall to discuss the issues or presentations you have in

the Community, and what you can do to solve the problems as a Community. The time

we get out of school is 5:00, and I know this sounds like a long day, but as you come to

this school from day to day, you’ll adjust to it.

Codman Academy hasn’t always been this way for me. When I first came here to

Codman I thought: “Why would you have a rule, if you get kicked out of class twice in a

week you’ll get a suspension hearing that results into you getting suspended?” To be

honest I would accept to get suspended for bringing a weapon to school. I thought the

teachers were going to be on my back but all my negative thoughts turned into positive

thoughts.

Sincerely,

Lashonda Allen

What’s Up New Ninth Graders?

My name is Shennette. Most people call me Nett-Nette or Elmo. I have a few

suggestions and advice for you so that you will be able to graduate in the right grade and

adapt to the new changes.

First off, you might think that you can’t survive the hours nine to five, but they

actually go by fast, if you occupy your time right. Although we only have three academic

classes, you should start off the year on the right foot. Unlike me, you shouldn’t get

kicked out of your classes for giggling because you’re going to have to make the

assignment up otherwise. I think that, if you do your work constantly through the year, it

will be a breeze. Despite getting kicked out, I am an Honor Roll student. If YOU want to

be an honor roll student, you shouldn’t procrastinate on your work because you won’t do

as well on your assignments as you would if you weren’t rushing.

Because I graduated from a small school, I am used to the class sizes. Small

classes give you more individual time with your teacher especially if you are struggling

or don’t understand the lesson. We have three academic classes: Humanities, biology,

and algebra. Humanities consists of English and social studies together. You might think

three hours of sitting in the same classroom would get you fed-up but the lessons can be

interesting most of the time .From my experience Biology was one of my least favorite

class, for many reasons. Even though I like to do experiments, lectures and taking notes

can be a pain. As for algebra, let’s just say it’s a lot of work doing graphs, equations,

notes and presentations. Although Karen is one of the funniest teachers, I advise you not

to get kicked out of her class, well, at least not too much unless you want to hear

“OOUTTTT......GET OOUTTTT!!!!” all the time.

So if you want to succeed at Codman Academy, you should take advantage of the

small classes, pace yourself on your goals to be promoted and you’ll be an honor roll

student along with me.

Well I guess I will see you soon in September.

- Shennette Commock

Dear Incoming 9th graders,

What's up? My name is Francine. I’m about to tell you the true story of my

experience at Codman. When I first came to the school I was quiet. Then I got to know

my advisory (we have something called advisory on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday).

Then my classmates came in. When I saw some of them I said to myself “Whoa”. When

you first see your classmates you won’t be used to them because you were with your

advisory for three days.

Everyone in the class got along after the 2nd to 3rd weeks. We cracked jokes with

each other and liked each other. Then after a while we saw each other’s “rude side”. So

people in the class did not like each other and they did not put up a face, they showed it.,

and them showing it led to them leaving the class. YES THEY GOT KICKED OUT!.

When you get kicked out you get written up in the book. If you get written up 2 times you

get a suspension hearing that might lead to a suspension. Do you want that on your

collage application? NO!.

I have gotten about 3 suspension hearings. I got them for getting kicked out of

class and not being in uniform. Right now you might be saying “Yo this school is hard

and you have to be there from 9-5”. Well the school is hard. It is college prep. The 9-5

thing, you are going to get used to it because it flies. I got used to it because I was paying

attention to my work and my friends. If you are thinking “Oh I see a cute boy over there.

I wanna holla at him, that's my new boo.” don’t come here. You can have a boyfriend,

but if you are in class writing his name on all over your book you will be in the 9th grade

again.

The school has had problems just like any other school. We have had to deal with

arguments that almost led to fights. We have had to deal with classes not liking each

other. If you are deciding to take one of your friend’s stuff, that's not cool because you

don’t want to get in trouble. Come to school to be positive, not negative. You will really

like to be here. You will have a lot of opportunities here. Please don’t mess up.

If you have beef with someone that is coming here do not bring the beef here.

Trust me I tried it and it didn’t work. Everyone has beef with someone but you have to

take that beef somewhere else because Codman is not having it. You will get suspended

before you can say onomatopoeia. Do not bring beef here because we 9th graders do not

want to hear it or want to be involved with it.

This school takes you places. You get to learn how to act better, you get math,

science and humanities skills. You get a lot here. You can take a trip over the summer to

any place you pick. You’ll be doing activities like canoeing, white water rafting, rock

climbing etc. This school can take you places if you don’t leave it.

- Francine Labissiere of class 2007 (which is the best).

Dear Incoming 9th Graders

This is Jose reaching out to all who may read this paper, class of 2007 for sure! I

want to let you know a couple of things you need to know from my perspective on my

first school year. The school motto is “To learn, to lead and to serve.” You have to be

you, do you, and don't do things that you would never do to impress your classmates or

anyone else.

I want to reach out to the boys because I had many problems in the beginning.

All I worried about was playing sports and going out with girls, which is a common

mistake. You should focus on your grades and try to know everyone your first year.

During my freshman year, I went out with girls in the same class, got kicked out for

arguing with them and acted up trying to impress them. This led to many suspension

hearings. I tried to be hard and didn't watch my mouth and the way that I talked to

people. If you do you, you'll have friends, but if you act up you'll have enemies. If you

choose to be a clown and people are laughing, remember that they won’t always be

laughing with you. That they might be laughing at you. Remember that you’re not always

going to be liked, but your day will come, just be cool.

The way I acted in the beginning was harsh. Do not disrespect the girls. They end

up friends with each other easily and if one hates you, you got something coming your

way, because there will be more. Please leave all the arguing, the open neck and

everything else at home because it will get to become a huge problem here.

A warning before you come here is to not start any groups or throw any group

signs during class because if you do get caught you will fail that day and just sit in the

office with Meg. You will miss a lot of things for that day and a step into repeating 9th

grade. This year we had many kids get hurt by saying that they were in a group and there

were many consequences.

Doing or trying to do your work at the last minute is very wrong because there is

a 75% chance that you will not have it done on time. Sometimes time will appear when

you need it. If you’re passing a class with an 80, you should keep doing your homework

because it can go down by just missing an assignment.

We have many sports in this school that are interesting. You should try to do as

many sports as you can so that colleges will have more things to look at about you. You

never know, you might just like the sport. Always try new things. Watch out for my

brother who's going to be sick in sports next year! Have fun in your class this year. Pass

all your class!

Sincerely, Jose

Dear Incoming Ninth Grader,

I would like to welcome you to Codman Academy Charter School. I have a few

pieces of advice for you. When you come here, you have to focus on your work. For

example, if one of your friends is talking to you and you have to finish a project, you will

have to learn to ignore them. I used to talk to my friend Marcus in class all the time and I

almost failed Humanities because of it.

When you come here, the school will give you nothing but healthy food like

veggie burgers, salad, rice and a whole lot more. Codman Academy does this because

this school thinks of your health. They care about what you eat and think it is better for

kids our age to be eating veggie burgers rather than junk food.

There are a lot of good things about this school. For one, you will get the chance

to call your teachers by their first names. I bet you that in your old school you would call

your teachers by their whole last name. I like calling teachers by their first name because

it is easy to do, without the Mr. or Mrs. On Wednesday, all the school gets together to

have a Community Circle. We get together to talk about the issues that are going on

around the school and people give announcements. Fridays are going to be the best days

of the week for you because it is on Friday that you have field days. For the ninth

graders, their field days are math days, college visits and the Huntington theater. These

will be fun experience for you because I had fun.

My personal experience here is that if you are failing, you can ask the teachers for

their help. As an example, I was failing Algebra 1 with a 57 and I asked Karen, the 9th

grade math teacher, for help. She gave me a 2 page essay to boost my grade up by a lot.

Thanks to her I will be passing math.

So, welcome the Class of 2008. I hope you like this school when you come here.

I did.

Sincerely,

Lahai Andrew Moiforay

Your friend

What's up incoming 9th graders?

Welcome! This school has a lot of good qualities and some bad ones.

My name is Cisco and I would like to welcome you to this school. First of all, this

is a really serious school. The hours are long but you will get used to it after a while. I

remember within the first week I was mad tired and didn't think I would make it to

5:00.PM. Then I just started to forget the time and would just chill in class and then time

would go by mad fast.

Another thing about this school is that it’s a small community. Most of the time

this is a good thing, but sometimes it’s not. It’s good because you can trust a lot of

people and be friends with almost everyone. However there is almost always that one

person that is stealing stuff, from students and no one seems to know who it is. In

addition Some people also talk about you behind your back. When we have problems we

have emergency meetings as a community and try to figure out how we can solve the

problem.

The teachers have dedicated their time to teaching the students. I remember when

I used to do current events every other week instead of every other week. Lori said that

she would help me if I came in early enough. I got a 9/10 on the one she helped me on.

Ever since then I have done my current events by myself every week. Karen, the math

teacher is here every Thursday after school to help with problem sets, projects and

revisions. That is really the easiest class to pass especially with all the help you get you

should not fail. Nancy is the Biology teacher. She is an ok teacher but she makes the

students take a lot of notes. She has the students draw a lot of diagrams so they get to

know about what they are learning about. She was an art teacher at this school but

because she had a Biology background so she decided to teach Biology here. The

teachers here are very supportive and try to build good relationships with all the students

at this school.

There is also advisory. You go there and you can talk to your advisory about your

day. My advisor is Kim. She makes sure we do our homework when we get there at

4:30. Lately she has been letting us go outside on Thursdays. She never let us go outside

before on Thursdays, but now she does. Oh my God ! I almost forgot! Kim also makes

some bomb cupcakes. They taste mad good.

Well hope you have a good time at CACS. Don t be scared that you will not make

it to 4:30.PM. Just have good relationships with your teachers and peers and talk to your

advisory about anything that you feel like talking about, Most of all come to this school

and have fun and get a good education.

From: Cisco Archbold