6th and 7th Graders,

Don’t ever let someone tell you that 

you are sensitive,

worthless,

ugly,

or stupid.

Irrelevant,

unpopular, 

small,

or the outcome of failure. 

Stay true to yourself and your values,

whether you are brave and courageous,

shy and generous, 

hidden or shown, 

confident or scared,

you are you. 

There is no changing that.

The year will be good, 

or bad, 

or both.

It may be happy

and sad,

and quite a mix of emotions. 

When the end comes

you will feel relief and gratitude.

You will leave having learned and grown academically, 

but don’t be fooled by the numbers of your grades. 

Numbers

are

just

numbers. 

You will cry

and weep,

and probably feel like lying in bed for as long as your head can touch a pillow.

But you will laugh.

You will laugh until your stomach hurts and you have to bend over to keep yourself intact.

School is hard,

and fun, 

and a lot to handle.

So the number one piece of advice I can give to you is:

don’t expect everything to go as planned, because life happens

and it is

uncontrollable. 

Take it in with grace and kindness,

stick to your values, 

And never forget that 

you 

are 

you. 

There is no changing that.