Alex Evatt Everyone has heard the saying "when one door closes another one opens." Well, I'm a fifth grader at Rosewood Elementary School, and my friends and I will soon close the Rosewood Door and open a new one at Hand Middle School.

On February 18, 2009, all of the fifth graders at Rosewood Elementary School joined together on a little outing to experience a small taste of their future, a visit to Hand Middle School. Most of these kids will move to Hand for sixth grade when school starts this fall.

Hand is much different than Rosewood. During that first visit to Hand I felt overwhelmed. As I walked around I felt like I would never get out. Obviously, Hand is a much larger school, but there are many other differences. For example, kids will have their own lockers, and everyone is excited about that; there are lots of choices in the lunch room; kids are only allowed three minutes for a bathroom break, visit to the locker, and a drink from the water fountain.

Classroom rules are tough, no pencil - detention, no homework - detention, and many other responsibilities that go with being in middle school.

I think the biggest difference is the choices we have among class offerings and the opportunity to participate in single- gender classes. Activities such as drama, dance, choir, band, keyboarding, and Latin are all options to choose from.

During that first visit, as the sixth grade guidance counselor guided us through the halls, I could hear my heart beating and feel my arms shaking. I was so excited at all the possibilities that awaited me in the fall at my new school.

We passed many rooms with signs that said things like: Reading, Drama, Band, Chorus, and I again realized that we have so many choices.

One thing I learned from this experience was that I have a lot to learn, but I am so excited about the possibilities. The Rosewood door is almost closed, and the doors to Hand feel so open and inviting. The question the fifth graders must soon answer is: Can we handle being a Hornet? I'm confident the answer is YES!