Pace Academy has 13 grades, stretching from Pre 1st to 12th grade. All grades have something unique about them, but which one is the best?
Each grade has something unique about it, first-grade students participate in the holiday program, fifth-grade students take a trip to Charleston, seventh-grade students do something fun every first Friday of the month and ninth-grade students go on a retreat with their peer leaders and meet all the new kids. Junior-year students can drive to school. Senior-year students go on spring break together and finish school a few weeks early.
The lower school is special because every student is new and everyone is getting to know each other. The main highlight of the lower school is the parties celebrated on holidays. Students’ parents come to school and celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day and Easter. However, the lower school is difficult because the days are very slow, especially since students do not start switching classes until fifth grade. Sophomore Drew Thomson said, “Lower school was a lot of fun, but the days felt 100 hours long.”
The middle school is a restart at Pace because, on average, thirty new kids come into sixth grade. In middle school, the days are a lot more fun because you have more freedom by switching classes, and you get to play sports for Pace. The best part about middle school is the retreats that students take at the beginning of each year. The retreats allow you to meet the new kids at Pace, and have a ton of fun with your old friends. Senior Connor Phelan says, “The middle school retreats were awesome and they were a great way to kick off the year.” The only downside of middle school is students have no free periods, however, students do get to participate in the incredible subject of P.E.
The high school is special because Pace gets thirty more new kids. At the beginning of high school, ninth graders go on a retreat with a few seniors and new ninth-grade students. Also in high school, students have a lot more freedom with free periods and a more diverse selection of classes. Junior Maddox Crawford says, “Free periods are the best, and make Pace really fun.” However, the difficult part about high school is that grades matter, and you start applying to colleges.
The best grade at Pace is tenth grade because you are no longer new in high school and the academics are not as important as junior year. In tenth grade, students become more familiar with the high school and all of the students in it. Also, tenth-grade students do not have to deal with the stress of applying to colleges, like in senior year. In conclusion, tenth grade is the best grade at Pace Academy.