wish school was on Saturday,” Ferris continues. “I loved how we have chances to challenge ourselves. I never remember being bored at The Raleigh School. Our school is a very safe place to try new things.” In the fourth grade, Ferris’ teacher submitted one of Ferris’ stories to the Young Authors competition. Ferris was both surprised and excited when she made it to the state level. “I remember that I used to hate writing. I was a bit of a perfectionist, and I wanted to include every detail I could. I would end up making my stories really long, and then reading them again and throwing them away,” says Ferris. “My wonderful fourth grade teacher, Miss McKee, had a method for teaching writing plots. I could finally write good stories that made sense.” Ferris won’t be alone at Cary Academy; roughly half of her graduating class will join her, not to mention she’s been going to summer camps at Cary Academy since she was seven years old. That’s not to say she won’t miss The Raleigh School. “I’m bittersweet about leaving,” she says. “It will be a new adventure, but I will never forget my first school.”
AT A GLANCE Grades: PreK-5 Mission: The Raleigh School is a cooperative community of children, parents and teachers that fosters a love of learning in an atmosphere of challenge, inquiry, and respect. Website: www.raleighschool.org
Brenna Buckley 14, rising ninth grader, recently graduated Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
“A lesson I learned at Lourdes is never doubt your potential,” says Buckley. “Whether it’s learning Spanish or running cross-country, you have to push yourself and do your best. You must practice and never give up. If you think something is hard, try harder and ask questions because certain things take more effort than others. “Always have confidence in yourself,” Buckley continues. “One of my friends at a basketball game told me that you can pull anything off with confidence. Our Lady of Lourdes really shows your potential and helps you gain the confidence that will take you far in life. Also, you must be patient - because through the Father you can do anything.” Buckley has stayed busy during her time at Our Lady of Lourdes playing basketball, running on the cross country team and participating in both drama and yearbook. Her favorite extracurricular activity was basketball. This year she was named the team’s most valuable player. But high school awaits at Cardinal Gibbons this fall, where Buckley will, like every freshman, have to make a name for herself. But if she ever needs help, she feels good about the fact that she can, in fact, go back to her old school. 84 | midtownmag.com