Eight Questions with Eighth Grade's Lizzie and Jane
If there is one thing that's true about Lizzie Ayer '17 and Jane Ellis '17, it is that they've made their mark in Shore's eighth grade year with energy, courage, and high spirits to spare. Now that they're nearing the end of their Shore careers - heading to Middlesex and Proctor Academy for ninth - they have some parting thoughts and words of advice to share with younger peers, and anyone curious about what makes this school tick. On trying new things:
On challenge:
On movies:
Jane: The cheese is weird to me. I don’t like how it oozes out.
Lizzie: That makes it better though. Do you like the buffalo chicken salad? All my friends are obsessed with it.
Jane: I like the meatballs.
Lizzie: They are good.
Jane: It may sound cheesy, but what you can do here is amazing - if it’s not offered, you can create an independent study to do basically anything.
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On teachers:
Jane: So many of our teachers are really, really nice. They might be hard teachers, but they are so good.
Lizzie: I've always had good experiences with my teachers. They kind of know what’s going on: they know you have a life outside of Shore. Sure, they’ll give you a lot of work, but they don’t demand it all gets done in one night.
Jane: Also, they realize that they're not the only teacher you have - they get that there are other teachers who give you homework, and they're really understanding about that.
Lizzie: They're just fun to talk to sometimes. Mr. Clarke and my class can have good conversations about almost anything. The same goes for Mr. Ahern.
Jane: We talk to Mr. Ahern about everything - about his childhood, anything. And Mrs. Koval.
Lizzie: We love Mrs. Koval.
Jane: We love her. She's a really hard teacher - kind of "tough love." Last year Lizzie and I were in the same science class. And we weren’t exactly good at science.
Lizzie: We spilled a whole bottle of something all over the classroom.
Jane: It was bad for a while. But then in the middle of the year something clicked with Mrs. Koval. And our relationship from then on was great - we would hug in the halls, we'd come by her room and ask her questions.
Lizzie: We'd go in before school, just to go to talk to her.
Lizzie: I have been reading Vogue ever since I was little. I love looking at the pretty dresses and the high-end brands. I picked up sewing about two years ago, when I started sewing my American Girl doll clothes with my sister. After that I moved onto dresses, and got serious about it through the MFA and through independent studies here. I find it really interesting and I really love doing it, and hopefully I’ll continue with it in boarding school.
Jane: My whole family are really big riders, but up until last summer I was terrified of horses. I had also been scared of sailing, but I just did it one summer, and I wondered if I could do it with riding. So this summer I started to ride. Since then I’ve ridden a lot, and it’s really nice: now I can ride with my family, where before I would just stay home while they were out riding.
On challenge:
Lizzie: I would definitely say there's a lot at Shore that's challenging. There's all the public speaking, lots of opportunities to get on the stage. It's scary at first, but it ends up being fun, and everyone is there doing it with you.
Jane: Also, it’s not just public speaking or drama, but other kinds of projects in general, where you aren't comfortable at first, but then find out it's okay and you can do it.
Lizzie: Shore definitely puts a lot on your plate, and I've really learned how to time-manage lately. It's helpful to know when you have to get things done, and be able to do it when you have free time, rather than goofing off. Shore does give you study halls during Eighth Hour, which is so great. It makes it a lot easier.
Jane: That's really helped me a lot.
On music:
Lizzie: I'm definitely listening to Taylor Swift. I love her.
Jane: "T-Swivel"
Lizzie: "T-Swizzle." It’s "swizzle."
Jane: Swivel.
Lizzie: Swizzle.
Jane: Swivel. You can’t say T-Swizzle. You have to say T-Swivel.
On trips:
Jane: Yarmouth [Island] was really fun. Even though we didn’t have showers, it was fine: it was sunny and really warm every day, so we could go swimming every day. It was cool to be on an island that didn't have anything else on it, so it could really be your time.
Lizzie: I think it was a good mix between trying new things that we may not have been comfortable with, and getting free time to just hang out with friends.
Lizzie: I am so excited for New York [the final eighth grade trip in June].
Jane: Me too.
Lizzie: I think the whole eighth grade is so excited.
Jane: I’m excited for actual civilization when we go on a trip. It’s nice being in the wilderness, but then, it’s kind of different.
Lizzie: We see a Broadway play, go to the Museum of Modern Art, and I think we actually get to go to lunch on our own - lots of responsibility.
On movies:
Jane: I actually like a lot of older movies - from the 70s and 80s and 90s. I have a big family, five sisters and a brother. And so I grew up watching movies that they grew up with. A lot of Pretty in Pink, Clueless, things like that. My sister is actually 30.
Lizzie: I love Audrey Hepburn movies - Breakfast at Tiffany’s is my favorite movie. I’m not kidding.
Jane: And the classic Disney movies - much better than the new ones. The classic Cinderella. Classic Sleeping Beauty. And the Lion King is really good.
Lizzie: Jaws was pretty good.
On Shore food:
Lizzie: The grilled cheese is always something you can rely on.
Jane: The cheese is weird to me. I don’t like how it oozes out.
Lizzie: That makes it better though. Do you like the buffalo chicken salad? All my friends are obsessed with it.
Jane: I like the meatballs.
Lizzie: They are good.
Jane: The meatballs are really good…
Lizzie: You can’t go wrong with a meatball.
And on what Shore is really like:
Lizzie: You will never be alone at Shore.
Jane: It may sound cheesy, but what you can do here is amazing - if it’s not offered, you can create an independent study to do basically anything.
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Lizzie and Jane at recess in June
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Chatting with Mrs. Koval
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Lizzie's own dress design
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Jane's first time suiting up as JV lacrosse's goalie
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On stage during the Boston Theatre Company's Shakespeare workshop
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Lizzie on the attack
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In the iLab
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On Yarmouth Island
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Shore Country Day School’s mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. We seek to build character, cultivate creativity, and value diversity as we help our children become healthy, compassionate citizens of the world.
The School admits qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law, and extends to them all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admissions, scholarships, and loans, and its educational, athletic, and other programs.