Meet the class of 2016!

 

Purnell's 9th Graders are back to give you advice about boarding school, and being a girl in high school in general.  We'd like you to meet this year's fantastic bloggers, the class of 2016!

Deijah 

     Deijah is in 9th grade. She is a graduate of a New Jersey public school and coming to Purnell was a transition. She enrolled in Purnell for the opportunity to learn independence and more responsibility, which is something that Purnell offers and teaches. Deijah is on the soccer team and in Shoots and Strawberries. Her favorite subject is Survey of Performing Arts. A few of Deijah's  interests are basketball, singing, and writing. She enjoys writing short stories and reading. What Deijah loves about Purnell is the quiet and the scenery, also the activities and the yummy desserts! Deijah is still unsure about her future but she hopes to learn the guitar and pursue a career as a veterinarian.

Carol

           Carol is in 9th grade.  She came from an international school. She wants to learn more about English and improve her English skills. She wanted to try a different education than what was in her homeland. She enjoys art and Roots and Shoots. Her favorite subjects are Trigonometry and studio arts. She likes traveling, designing and photographing. She also enjoys Purnell's art classes. Her goal is to be a designer in the future.

Sarah 

          Sarah is in 9th grade.  She is from North Carolina. She came from a public middle school where there were many students in one class. She came to Purnell to learn in a smaller environment. She participates in Purnell's soccer team and Steppers. Her favorite subjects are science and history. She likes basketball, music, dance, and art. The thing she loves most about Purnell is that it’s a small learning environment where she can get the right amount of attention she needs for each class. Her favorite singers are One Direction, Cody Simpson, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift.

Oghogho

           This charismatic girl named Oghogho is a 9th grader in Purnell.  She is a very special girl who loves to have fun. She graduated 8th grade from a private school in Newark in June and went on to Purnell to seek opportunities that would help her have a successful life in the future. She loves to eat Chinese food, do math, her favorite class is Survey of Performing Arts, and she loves candy, Christmas, food, Thanksgiving, and much more. Oghogho is a great singer, a skillful drawer, and an amazing actor. She is not involved in a lot of activities this year but next year she wants to participate in community service, art activity, and steppers. She hopes to get in to an Ivy League college.  Her hobbies are bike riding, playing in the park, and drawing anime. Oghogho is grateful for to be at Purnell and she hopes to build a bright future here.

 Dongyu

Dongyu is in 9th grade. She is from  China. She previously attended a public junior high school. She attends  Purnell because she likes the independence and she loves the environment in the school. She thinks it’s peaceful and beautiful. She is currently active in Roots and Shoots, Purnell's community service group.  Her favorite subject is Survey of Performing Arts. Dongyu loves singing, dancing and playing the piano. She loves the teachers, activities, the sports and the environment in Purnell School. She thinks it’s different from other high schools, especially her previous high school in China. A few things she enjoys doing are yoga, singing and dancing. She hopes to be a professional pop singer in the future.

Natalia 

            Natalia is in 9th grade.  She came to Purnell in search of a better atmosphere away from drama or anything that would get in her way of creating a great future for herself.  Even though Natalia left South Jersey behind, she still brought her dancing skills with her to the Purnell campus.  Natalia is a part of Purnell’s Dance Ensemble. Natalia enjoys English class because it gives her the ability to think outside the box and write at her own pace.  Dancing isn’t the only hobby she enjoys, art is another fun and relaxing activity that Natalia is strong at.  Sculpting, free-hand drawing, painting, and charcoal drawing are Natalia’s favorites.  The thing Natalia likes most about Purnell is the quiet countryside that is right outside her dorm window and also the talented ladies from all over the world that are just like her! Natalia chose Purnell because she thought it was the best academic choice for her. Purnell helped Natalia realize that living on your own, taking control of your own schedule, and being responsible aren’t the easiest thing, but perseverance is key.

Mia

           Mia is a 9th grader at Purnell. She is very open minded and a creative person. Her new life at Purnell has enabled her to feel confident as an independent young woman within the school community. Mia came from a big public school in her home town. She described in her application that it was very difficult to obtain information in the classes and get the one-on-one support from her teachers when there were so many children in a classroom. Her parents took a chance and sent her to a small private school. The school provided Mia with a challenging, meaningful progressive education with a supportive curriculum. Now, Mia is happily attending Purnell School.  She easily adjusted to the campus life alongside her fellow freshmen that get along great and attend many classes together.  Purnell teaches Mia how to learn in many different ways and now she can considers herself to be a confident young woman.

Havana

            Havana is a freshman at Purnell. She is currently in the 9th grade and is actively learning French. She loves to cook, go go-kart racing and of course go shopping! Before attending Purnell, Havana was enrolled in a fairly large charter school. However, she was intrigued by the small, individualized learning environment, and overall atmosphere at Purnell. Now she is a student at Purnell School and participates in numerous activities including competitive soccer, and Purnell’s school cafe. Havana aspires to become Student Body President in the future. After spending only a short time at Purnell, Havana knows that Purnell is the right place for her to not only learn new things, but to make new friends and become prepared for a future she aspires to have in the law field. If you would like to learn more about Havana, and her advice for soon-to-be high-schoolers and current 9th grade girls like herself, follow her on her blog-writing journey throughout the year. Au revoir!

"Never be afraid to follow the road less traveled, it is usually the one that leads to success." 

 Kat

           Kat is an energetic 9th grader who has just started her high school journey along with her fellow freshmen.  She came from a small private school.  After she heard about Purnell School Kat and her parents thought it would be a great opportunity for her to receive a better education and that she would prosper from both the work and the community.   Ever since that first day of dance class she has enjoyed every second and has learned so much.  Kat thinks all of the teachers are truly helpful, especially if you don’t understand something you can go and ask the teacher for help and they will explain the concept to you in many different ways until you understand. Kat loves art. Today she has discovered some very interesting techniques that she is using to create beautiful pieces of artwork. There are many things about this school that she loves but the one that stands out most in her mind is how close you can become with someone in such a short period of time.  When you come to Purnell you're not just a person with a face and a name, you're a friend, a classmate, a student but more importantly family.  Everyone at Purnell comes together and creates one big community in which there is laughter,  happiness and most importantly friendship.

 Zakiya

           Zakiya is a ninth grader at Purnell this year. She was born in Manhattan, New York but when she turned 3 she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. When she was 7 years old she came back to New York and went to a private school for first grade. The school that she attended was very small, but the school grew, and Zakiya was the first 8th grade graduating class of 2012 from her previous school. Zakiya came to Purnell because her principal talked to her mother about it and they all agreed that it was going to be a good fit for Zakiya to be in a small community since she has always excelled in a small school. Now Zakiya attends Purnell School and she has adjusted to the community quickly. Zakiya joined Steppers as an activity during her first week. She says that her favorite subjects are science and English. Zakiya also loves animals and someday hopes to become a veterinarian. Her favorite hobbies are shopping, singing (in the shower) and hanging out with friends. She is also interested in playing the piano and hopes to become a talented pianist in the near future.  Zakiya says the thing she likes most about Purnell is that it is a small community and the academic schedule fits with her lifestyle.

Emily

          Emily is fifteen years old.  Emily is from New Jersey. As a ninth grader, she now strives to make her grades and schoolwork a top priority. She is striving to get a 4.0 GPA. Emily no longer rows like she did at her previous school, but instead plays soccer on Purnell's soccer team. Her favorite subjects are math and digital photography. Emily has a cat, a dog, two brothers and two moms. She is still getting used to a small boarding school; but she knows she has a bright future ahead of her here at Purnell.

Donesha

Donesha is in 9th grade. She is a dancer and an actor. Her mom did not want her to go to public school because she felt like there were too many bad influences. Donesha loves to sing dance and act and her favorite place is the theater. All in all Donesha is a fun girl to be around and can make you laugh when you're sad.You can come to her for any advice!