My first day at Sandys Secondary Middle School was a very interesting experience.

I only knew a few people, considering I didn't come from a feeder school, and I had no idea what to expect from this totally different environment.

I found I had to move from class to class and carry my books, unlike primary school where we had desks.

I had to go by a schedule and organise myself accordingly. We were given agendas to make notes and record our homework to help us stay prepared.

We hardly got homework on the weekends in M1!

There are many fun things that we do at Sandys. We have Christmas parties and end of year parties and picnics.

There are always bake sales, grub days and special fund-raiser lunches. We have a fair every year, which is lots of fun, and everyone gets to work.

We go on field trips, and there is also a yearly Spanish trip and College tour.

We also get to witness other educational events such as the Youth Parliament.

I also had the opportunity to spend a week on Spirit of Bermuda; it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, which I would highly recommend.

Sports are taken very seriously here at Sandys. We play a variety of sports such as football, cricket, netball, basketball, track and field and rugby.

Sandys has dominated interschool sports since I first came in M1 and we intend to win this year as well.

With the new Aquatic Sports Centre being built, we will soon have an even larger variety of sports to choose from.

Sandys Secondary Middle School to me is a fair, fun, safe and encouraging school, but it doesn't tolerate nonsense. The staff at Sandys are committed educators and are very nice, but stern.

I was rarely sent to the office, but when I was, seeing the disappointment on my teachers' faces was all I needed to get back on the right track.

I would tell any new student coming to Sandys that with the right mindset and attitude, they don't have to worry about being disciplined.

There is a lot of homework, but if you do it before the last minute, when you get assigned something else, you won't have so much to do at once.

Sandys is often referred to as the Sandys Family. Like any other family we sometimes fight and have disagreements, but at the end of the day we are all one big family.

"Sandys Secondary Middle School is committed to providing quality education that develops critical thinkers who become responsible citizens contributing positively in an ever-changing local and global society".

We say this motto in every assembly. It helps motivate me to strive to do better and prepare myself for the future.

Over the course of my years at Sandys, my teachers were very encouraging and helpful. They were always there to help me with my schoolwork, even if it meant helping me during lunch or after school.

They pushed me to give my all and nothing less.

Because of that, I have made the Principal's List or Honour Roll every term since M1 and with a few quarters left, I intend to keep it that way.

Sandys has prepared me for high school by giving me lots of work, which made me more knowledgeable in a variety of subjects.

It has taught me test preparation, teamwork, leadership and responsibility. I will always remember my days at Sandys Secondary Middle School.