Spotlight: Alex Van Vleck

As you walk down the hall you are met by a large, dense crowd of students loiter- ing in the halls and forming an impenetrable barricade. Before you turn to find another escape route, in your peripheral vision you spot a student as he disap- pears beneath elbow level and slips out on the other side, much faster than anyone you know could pull off. This stu- dent is quick, and this student is careful. This student is sixth grader Alex Van Vleck.

Van Vleck was formerly a student at Raintree, although during his fifth grade year he also spent a short period of time attending a school in North Carolina. And, unlike several sixth graders this year, he does not have an older sib- ling to introduce and guide him.

“Sometimes I forget that I’m a sixth grader because I still feel like a fifth grader,”says Van Vleck, “but I still think it’s pretty good here.”Some things different from Raintree that Van Vleck likes are how cheap the Snack Shack is compared to Raintree’s Cof- fee Cart and the access to the microwaves.

Coming to Seabury is hard, but Van Vleck is quickly adjusting and finding things he likes. His favorite subjects so far include Math, Histography and English. He is also a fan of playing games like Fortnite and reading, especially books about animals. He is also interested in paper airplanes.

“I really like making paper airplanes. Usually when I

have nothing to do I just find a piece of paper and I make it, and then see how far it flies.”

However, those are not the only things he likes to spend his time doing. Van Vleck is also a big fan of soc- cer, which he has played for five years, and basketball.

“Here, my teammates are just so nice and we really like each other,” says Van Vleck, “When someone messes up, they don’t say ‘Come on, do better!’ They say ‘good job, you can do better next time,’they’re very supportive.”

For Van Vleck, the draw of playing soccer comes in the variety of things you can do when you play. He also finds it to be a really cool sport to play in general, and likes learning how to do cool new tricks.

But, for Van Vleck, one of the most attractive things

about coming to school here is not the sports teams but the atmosphere and opportunities.

“It’s a really peaceful place, it’s fun, and there’s a lot of things you can do,” says Van Vleck.

Though much excite- ment is yet to come this year and many new opportunities will arise, the school remains peaceful despite the busy schedules of its students. But most importantly, it provides a welcoming environment for all of its students, new and old. Welcome to Seabury, Alex!

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