In a year, every eighth grader will enter the new and unknown halls of the Cinnaminson High School. However for eighth grader Megan Tumelty, entering CHS in the fall will not be a new experience.

Every day Megan is driven over to the High School before 7:49 A.M. (the start of first period) for geometry class with Mrs. Bate. Once her class finishes at 8:30 A.M. she is shipped back to the Cinnaminson Middle School by school bus. Students at CMS do not begin their first period until 8:21 A.M which allows Megan to just about make all of her middle school classes in accordance with Honors Geometry.

Megan is one of a select few that are accelerated in a certain field of study. In past years two others have come over to the High School for their chance of accelerated learning as well. Eric Schaffer and Brittany Wun went through the same experience Tumelty is undergoing.

In support of the program Mrs. Bate details, “I think it’s challenging and they can’t really challenge them at the middle school, so [I see it] beneficially.”

Mrs. Bate sees the program as an opportunity for the students whom excel beyond their required academic teaching. She feels Megan may not have been challenged and somewhat restricted at the Middle School, but in the High School Bate feels that she will be learning more freely.

Even though Megan finds herself away from her friends and in the mix of high school students at the beginning of every day, Bate points out that, “There isn’t really a downside considering she only stays here for one period.”

Making the transition from middle school to high school can be a tough one, however making the transition from middle school to high school, without the rest of one’s class can be an even tougher one. Mrs. Bate feels that it may be hard for Megan in class sometimes because, “I just think about how lonely it is for her, you know not to have any buddies in the class.” However it also means that next year she will know everyone in the school already, which will help her in the long run.

Megan first heard about her new daily routine from Middle School Vice Principal, Mr. Kolev. Already nervous, Megan’s first day of school did not help to calm her nerves. As Megan recalls, “When I got here the first day, the rest of the class wasn’t here so it was just me and I was a little nervous.” But the next day she thought, “that was better (the second day when the rest of the class was here).”

After seven months of schooling, Megan has become quite comfortable in her new class, thanks to the warm unity they have, “My teacher is really nice and so are people in our class, it’s fun. They’ve talked and joked around with me, and got me more comfortable with them,” Megan describes.

By this time next year, the rest of Megan’s middle school class will join her in the halls of CHS, but she will have the upper hand as she will know her way around already. “I actually think she’ll be ahead of all the other class,” Bate tells, “First of all because the kids [upperclassmen] will know her and so it [socializing] won’t be a problem. Second of all, all of her other classmates will be here, and she’ll know the layout pretty much of the school, so I think she’ll feel even more comfortable next year.”

This experience has not only been beneficial for Megan, but also for Mrs. Bate, so she says, “There’s always kids in your class, especially honors, and if they get an A on the test you know it was a good test, so I always look at Megan’s ‘did she get an A? Yes. This was a good test,’ I always look at Megan as my marker.”

Mrs. Bate also shared that even though she knows Megan will be fine next year, she will look out for her throughout her unique high school years to come.

The way that Megan’s high school experience will play out is that by her senior year she may take AP statistic, because “as a ninth grader she’ll have algebra 2, and then she’ll have pre-calculus/trigonometry as a 10^th grader, and then she’ll have calculus as an 11^th grader,” Bate explains.

There is some thought of whether having an eighth grader take on high school a year early could be too much, however Bate believes that if they have the ability, then they are right for the placement, “I mean it’s like a freshman playing varsity: if you’re there, you’re there,” she finished.

Megan Tumelty is most definitely “there” so to speak as her past achievements merit. In 3^rd grade Tumelty achieved perfect test scores on standardized tests. In 6^th grade she made principals list, as she did this year as well. Megan however does not only excel in math, but also in its counterpart (science). On February 20, 2015, Megan competed in a science bowl with middle school teachers Mrs. Justin and Mrs. Nigro as coaches. With the help of four other students (Greg Zacharko, Emily Rooney, Emma Trzaska, and Nicholas Hite) they won three out of five rounds throughout the competition.

Ever since her younger years, Tumelty has been a hard worker and “quietly excelling” as Bate describes. All this hard work in school will get her ready for her dream job as a doctor. The young mathematician would like to be a doctor because, “I like science and math, and I want to help people,” Tumelty explains.

Not even enrolled in full high school courses yet, Tumelty appreciates being allowed to study with her academic level, “I’ll learn a lot of math and science which will help at college and preparing for a doctor career,” she concluded.