An Active Night For Tweens At Mount Pleasant Middle

Sometimes when opportunity knocks, you don’t just reach for it.  You jump, lurch, and trip over yourself to embrace it.  That’s what I did when the Mount Pleasant Middle School PTA said they were looking for parent chaperones for Activity Night.  Ok, so I wasn’t that aerobically active, but I did say yes.  Any opportunity to see my son among his peers is welcome.  Sure, friends come over, but it’s nice to see your own wolf cub in his/her own “pack.” 

Now, granted, most of my observations came from the viewpoint of my chosen post in the hallway.  Activity Night took place in the gym, where the kids played volleyball against teachers and some basketball, and the cafeteria, where water and snacks were given out and the children were entertained by a DJ.  My job was to make sure kids didn’t stray from those two areas and to insure they behaved themselves (i.e. didn’t get hurt) in the hallway between those destinations. 

The term “tween” itself is a marketing term that defines, loosely, kids between the ages of 11 and 12.  Research has shown that there’s a ton of money to be made off these kids and, according to the Media Awareness Network (www.media-awareness.ca), “by treating pre-adolescents as independent, mature consumers, marketers have been very successful in removing the gatekeepers (parents) from the picture—leaving tweens vulnerable to potentially unhealthy messages...” But as one of those “gatekeepers” from last night, I can tell you that I didn’t see ANYTHING unhealthy going on. 

The attendees seemed to be having a blast, blowing off steam and getting some exercise in the gym.  I was surprised to see what I thought were several high school kids helping out, only to find out that those “kids” were the principal (in civilian attire), technology teacher, and science teacher.  In the cafeteria, the students munched on snacks, drank water, and participated in whatever wholesome (if silly) activities the DJ had them doing.  And in the hallway, where I admonished them to “walk!” 52 times during the evening (yes, I did count), the kids largely listened.  The boys, energetic and crazy at this age, travelled primarily in groups of three in search of food and sports.  The girls, also goofy but more sophistocated, travelled in larger packs.  Flirting and posturing for the opposite sex took place, but it was on the inane side with the girls definitely being far more aware than the boys.  All in all, it was like watching puppies romp in the yard – the kids were larger versions of the elementary folk (some were MUCH larger), adorable and just having fun. 

Did I learn anything new about my own kid?  Not really, only that he’s hanging out with a nice enough group of boys who REALLY like snacks.  And that he likes to bust his chaperone mom by running in the hallway.  The experience confirmed my overall impression of Mount Pleasant Middle:  yes, obviously it’s a much bigger school than any of the elementary ones.  The greatest adjustment seems to be that whereas the kids were big fish in a little pond, they’re now small fish in a bigger pond with more interesting classes, a bigger physical environment, and more complex issues to ponder.  Life has become more unpredictable for these kids, but they’re developing the confidence to handle that precariousness.   

This group of 6th grade tweens, at least right now, seems to be a good one.  Nice kids, respectful, at least to those of us who are not their parents.  (Ok.  Now I’m sounding disturbingly like my own mother.)  Anyway, kudos to all of you at Mount Pleasant Middle, especially those involved with making Activity Night a success!  You’re doing a nice job with our kids!