ConVal High School students Chrystina Hall (who attended Pierce School), Logan Nadeau (Greenfield Elementary School) and Juliana O’Mahony  (Dublin Consolidated School) recently answered questions about their experience in elementary school and consolidating schools.

How was your experience going to a school with a small school population?

Chrystina: “It was a great experience. The teachers were very nice and are very generous to the kids as well.”

Logan: “It was fine. The teachers were able to pay more attention to the individual students.”

Juliana: “It was great. The teachers tended to each and every one of us, the friendships were close and the environment was good.”

Did you feel being in a small school environment helped you, as a student, become ready for middle school and eventually high school?

Chrystina: “Yes, because I felt when I was in a small group I felt comfortable and felt like I didn't need to be anyone else and just myself.”

Logan: “Not really , because I wasn’t ready to be apart of a bigger population.”

Juliana: “Yes, definitely, because of the small amount of students, the teachers were able to focus on all of us and tend to our needs without being overwhelmed by too many things to grade. I always got support from my teacher and it prepared when I needed it but they also pushed you to be independent first, which was big when preparing for middle school and high school.”

As a person who attended a small-town school, do you feel students would thrive in a bigger school population or not?

Chrystina: “I think either way is great, although having a bigger population of kids means more money and more space.”

Logan: “Yea, small schools can have their pros, but I feel there is more pros for a bigger-population school.”

Juliana: “Personally, I think I did well going from a small school to a large one because I was already so independent and also knew how to reach our for help if needed. As far as friendships go, I think being with the same people for so many years made me excited to reach out and find new friendships. So I would say from a personal experience, yes.”

Do you feel students would be missing out on educational experiences if they had to attend a consolidated school?

Chrystina: “No,”

Logan: “No because I feel they could have more educational chances or opportunities.”

Juliana: “Well, I think you can find a purposeful education wherever you attend, but I think going to a small school did give opportunity for independent growth and that is a valuable thing to learn at a young age.”