Caylin Simmons is a sixth grader at Jackson Prep. She loves sports, as well as the arts. This year she does Pep Squad and after school art, and plans to play basketball, soccer, and tennis in the future. During P.E. several of her friends play football and basketball.

This is Caylin’s first year in an independent school, and she is really enjoying it.  She said she has “made lots of new friends”.

 Simmons’s teachers are Dr. Helen Graham and Ms. Mari Farington. Sixth-graders switch between two classrooms compared to the six which older students do. In addition to this, they have their own wing too. 

Before Caylin came to Prep she went to Northshore Elementary School. She said the move was due to the fact that “The public schools didn’t have a plan for Covid, and Prep did.” Her parents’ number one priority was the Covid safety protocol. 

At Prep students are given a lot more freedom too, and she loves this aspect. Even during Covid, Caylin said, “We are given so many breaks during the day and plenty of opportunities to “breathe.” During these breaks, the sixth-graders are allowed to disperse and spread out on campus. Caylin loves to talk to friends, play foursquare, or go to drama early and clean the desks and talk to Mr. Younce. The sixth-graders have all just finished a project on pollution. 

Simmons has heard from upperclassmen that in 7th grade you get even more freedom than in sixth. She is most excited about “getting to use your phones during the day” and more opportunities for extracurricular activities next year.