By Helena De Figueiredo Valente :
If you are a freshman boy, and you have had trouble following school rules recently, know that we understand you. After all, you are the only ones who have been in quarantine for the past two hundred years, and transitioning into high school is really that hard. Here are some strategies to cope with your perfectly normal desire to stick band stickers on the walls and turn tables upside down.
Whenever you feel like saying something mean, take a deep breath. Count to five. Then, think about how the other person might feel if you said it. In addition, consider the fact that you could also be described by a number of mean words, but everyone else is actually a decent member of civilization and doesn’t call you names.
If the urge to destroy school property overtakes you, pause for a moment and consider the consequences of your actions. Know that there are various other ways to let out excess energy, such as by using a stress toy or by participating in gym class for a change instead of laughing and making inappropriate jokes with your friends in the corner while the gym teacher yells at you for the hundredth time.
Speaking of talking during class, know that when you do, you are distracting all of your classmates and not just yourself. Don’t waste this opportunity to learn in a very good school. If you don’t graduate and get a job, your parents might not want to pay for you and all the money you waste on video games.
If you are a freshman boy who has not done any of these things, good for you! Keep up the good work!
If you are a freshman boy who has done all of these things, before you choose the Highpoint staff as the next target for your mischief, do a calming mindfulness meditation and forget you ever read this. That is, if you can read at all.