It’s 9:00 a.m., and the hallways of the Ransom Everglades Middle School are filled with the chatter of the sixth graders. Their backpacks, often larger than they are, hang heavily on their shoulders, while their arms swing with bright pink or purple Stanleys. Sixth graders exude a particular vibe—a mix of innocence, curiosity, and a surprising adherence to rules.
As everyone waits for the first class to begin, a boy with dark brown hair, glasses and freckles takes out his water bottle. To everyone’s surprise, it is filled with hot water.
“Why do you have hot water?” the others ask, simultaneously.
“It’s for my ramen!” the boy responds.
Confused yet intrigued, they proceed to question him. Some say it’s “awesome.” The debate continues on for another three minutes until one of them changes the subject to shoes as they head into Dr. Brooke Gintert’s fifth-period science class.
As the students pile into the science room, it’s impossible to ignore the fashion trends that have taken over the sixth grade.
Every girl has a Kendra Scott necklace and Stoney Clover patches adorning her backpack. Meanwhile, Supreme backpacks seem to be the popular choice among the boys.
As for what’s on everyone’s feet: Adidas Sambas—because, apparently, “everybody has them,” according to Annabella Revilla ’31. As a product of the sixth-grade COVID year, I can confidently say I never saw a pair of shoes in my first six months at RE. Once we went back in person, Nike “Pandas” were all the rage.
But it’s not just fashion that defines these sixth graders. The students pull out their pencil cases like professionals, each filled with an impressive arsenal of stationary: gel pens, highlighters, and a rainbow assortment of sticky notes, while their Stanleys stand like sentinels on their desks.
Once everyone starts to settle into Dr. Gintert’s class, she announces the plan for the class. “Today is lab safety day!” Excitement mingles with concern as questions erupt every few seconds.
“Can I touch the beaker?”
“Where is the thing to wash your eyes?”
“What happens if you don’t wear goggles?”
Safety is a big deal to them, but so is making sure they’ve followed every single rule. Before Dr. Gintert can finish explaining the concept of a procedure, a hand shoots up in the air.
“Wait, what does ‘procedure’ mean? Is that like…produce? Like in a grocery store?”
Once a few more questions on vocabulary words are asked, science class comes to an end, and it is now lunchtime.
Social dynamics during lunchtime reveal a close-knit community, with students relying both on old friends from elementary school and new connections they have made. “While many initially gravitated toward familiar faces, they’ve gradually branched out into different social groups, all coming from 45 different schools,” explained Dean of Sixth Grade Mr. Robin Escobedo.
At the RE Middle School, students are not allowed to have phones out until dismissal at 3:10. Surprisingly, they seem to thrive without constant access to their screens. Even though TikTok trends and the latest Sephora products dominate their conversations, there’s a certain joy they seem to find in connecting face-to-face.
“We all know the TikTok trends,” says Sofia San Giovanni ’31 confidently, proving that middle school life is still very much in sync with that of the outside world, even without phones in hand.
By the end of lunch, it’s time for Period 7, and the sixth graders diligently consult their schedules—printed and stowed safely in their ID cases, of course.
The rules may be strict, the backpacks may be heavy, and the ramen debates may get heated, but they have each other to navigate the chaos and clumsiness of middle school.
