This year has been a funky one.

Grade 8 has been filled with joy, frustration- calm, and stress.

This has been the year where I’ve two very important things; not everything will come easily, and there always has to be balance.

I’ve always been an A average student with strength in most subjects. From the arts to social studies, I’ve usually been able to grasp each concept.

However, this year has taught me that life won’t be that simple anymore.

For example, Physics.

I don’t really like Physics.

Science has always been a passion of mine, I was that one kid in grade one that would put together a human body diagram for fun, and read every science book in the house. But after a few classes in my Physics classroom, I was approached with a situation.

I was going to struggle with Physics this year, it was pretty evident. But how could I lessen that struggle, and hopefully turn it into success? I knew it would be difficult, (it didn’t help that I didn’t entirely enjoy my teachers teaching style) but I was willing to work at it.

For the first few months, I was too busy complaining and worrying about this class that I didn’t leave enough time to think of how I could improve in this class. If I had, I probably would have received a better final mark.

Finally, I realized what I needed to do.

Weeks before my final exam I went in to see my teacher, however he gets easily side tracked and we didn’t cover as much as I would have liked to. I realized that asking him for help would not be as much of a success as I had aspired for, so I pondered a new plan.

Without the help of an educator, it’s pretty difficult to improve. However I really attempted to. I found websites and videos online, and revised new and old notes. A few concepts really weren’t clicking, but I really put in an effort and I am proud of myself for that.

On the final exam, I didn’t receive the final mark I anticipated, but I was happy. I felt more confident in a subject that I really struggled with, and I saw personal improvement. Through this I learned that things will not always come easily, and how to deal with those moments.

Something I have always struggled with, is balance. There are so many sports, clubs and councils that I am passionate about and want to partake in.

This year I realized how important balance is through one experience.

From November to December, I had a pretty hectic life. I had soccer six times a week, basketball three or four times a week, and science/math help once a week.

This left me excruciatingly sore, behind in school, and overall very anxious and stressed.

After these two stressful months ended, I was left with a report card with a lot of teachers saying I handed in work late frequently and wasn’t as prepared for class as I had been before, and many new injuries which resulted in me not being able to participate on the volley ball or field hockey teams this year.

Through this experience I learned how important balance is in my busy life. Without it I enable myself from participating in other activities.

This year has been full of opportunity. If you are a frequent reader of my blog you will know that I went to Ontario for the CAIS Leadership conference, organized a leadership conference here in Victoria; Accepting 2 Connecting, went to WE Day, was a WEB student leader, a dancer in our production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, wrote a biography for a senior, hosted a national soccer tournament, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Two opportunities I will talk about (that I haven’t already in previous posts) is WEB and the musical.

WEB: Where Everybody Belongs

We are the students in the middle school who are meant to make sure everyone is included. However our main job throughout the year was to aid grade sixes to transition into the middle school from the junior school. On the first day of school we were put into groups of seven grade sixes with another fellow WEB leader, a group that we would stick with and get to know throughout the year.

This year we had so many amazing and certainly entertaining activities, the first day of school in which we played fun games in our groups with costumes and treats, had games of dodgeball (the Weblings usually beat the WEB leaders), and Everything But a Sleepover where all the grade sixes and the WEB leaders came to school at 6pm and we played capture the flag, ate snacks, and watched a movie.

I have loved this experience so much. It has taught me the importance of setting a good example, and how much fun leading can be.

Another amazing opportunity was the musical; Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory.

Believe it or not, I was a dancer.

Yup a dancer, crazy right?! I have no coordination at all. I went to the dance auditions as a joke just for fun with my fellow un-coordinated friend.

Well the dance gods were in my favour, because I was selected.

We met once a week to rehearse starting in October, and I never would have imagined having so much fun dancing. It was such an amazing group of girls who taught me to love moving my body in ways that were foreign to me.

Being a part of the dancers in this musical taught me that stepping out of my comfort zone can result in something magical. I am so thankful for this experience, from dancing on stage to jamming out to the Back Street Boys in our dressing room, I had a blast.

This year has by far been my favourite. Despite all the overwhelming stress that comes with the new year, I learned to love it.

I have loved being the leaders of the school, it’s certainly going to be weird being the babies of the school next year.

Cheers to another successful school year, and farewell Middle School!

On a side note:

As I am going into high school (whattttt wasn’t I just ten) next year I looked back on my very first blog post, and if you have time I strongly suggest you to check it out. I really hope my writing has improved from then!