ABOVE: Iziahra Tenner, eighth-grader at Meeting Street Elementary & Middle – Brentwood, will be attending Early College High School next year.
As Meeting Street Elementary & Middle – Brentwood eighth-grader Iziahra Tenner prepares for high school, she reflected on the grit and growth that it took to get to this moment.
Trusting her teachers and asking questions in class were key to her academic progress and success, she said.
“What I had to do was better my mindset and try not to be so emotional and stubborn when it comes to learning new things or even failing,” she said.
This fall, Iziahra will attend Early College High School, a Charleston County school where students can earn up to two years of college credit and an associate’s degree.
She is one of more than 60 Meeting Street Schools students who have been accepted into selective middle and high schools for next school year, with 10 students receiving full scholarships to private schools.
Meg Fischer, program director for alumni services, supports students and their families with the admissions process annually and held celebratory gatherings at three Meeting Street Schools.
Students talked about their transition to new schools and the effort it took to reach this milestone. Many expressed gratitude for family members who supported them.
Meeting Street Academy – Charleston fifth-grader Violet Callaway credited her mom as being her biggest cheerleader.
“I would say she made a big sacrifice for me to go to Porter-Gaud, especially since this year I have a new baby sister,” Violet said.
Violet and her mom’s hard work has culminated in Violet earning a full scholarship to Porter-Gaud School, one of the most prestigious private schools in the Lowcountry.
Meeting Street Schools offered fifth graders from Meeting Street Academy and Meeting Street Elementary – Burns who were in good standing the opportunity to enroll in Meeting Street Elementary & Middle – Brentwood for middle school.
Kaiden McCoy, a fifth-grader at Burns, is one of the students taking advantage of that opportunity. Kaiden said his brother supported his learning by practicing vocabulary with him.
“He (my brother) made me do flashcards for a lot of different words,” Kaiden said. “If I got one wrong, then I’d have to restart it, but if I get them all right, then I can play games with him. That’s how I got to seventh grade vocab.”
Fifth-grader Aniya Grimball said she is excited to go to Palmetto Scholars Academy, a public charter school for gifted sixth through 12th students, because she’ll be with her two cousins who are Meeting Street Academy alumni.
“It’s kind of a bittersweet moment because I’m going to be leaving the school that I started with, and I’m going to miss people this year,” Aniya said.
As students prepare to leave, Meg encouraged them to stay connected with alumni services and continue to be part of the school community that will support them in their next chapter.
“I have complete confidence that our students can and will be successful when they leave us for middle and high school,” Meg said.
