Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: If you really knew me? If you really knew me?
[00:00:03] Speaker B: If you really knew me?
[00:00:05] Speaker C: If you really knew me? You would know.
[00:00:07] Speaker B: Hey, who are you?
[00:00:09] Speaker D: Who, me?
[00:00:10] Speaker A: Yeah, you.
[00:00:11] Speaker B: It's Monday.
[00:00:16] Speaker C: Hello, and welcome to season five of if you knew me Mondays, a student powered park day inspired podcast that builds belonging by sharing stories and perspectives from the margins of our school and community.
[00:00:27] Speaker A: Say what?
[00:00:28] Speaker C: My name is Cherie Mantry. And if you really knew me, you know that I got really good at poker when I was young. So now my family calls me full house mouse whenever we play. There's a lot I can say about why they call me Mouse. But that story's for another time.
[00:00:40] Speaker D: My name is Noam Eppelman. And if you really knew me, you'd know that even though my kitchen at home is not super big, I still really love spending time there cooking and baking food for my family and friends.
[00:00:50] Speaker C: Think of a place on the park day campus where you feel especially connected to. Have you ever had a particular experience or moment that changed the way you experience life on campus today?
Well, on today's episode, the first of our brand new season, we will be sharing different stories from a wide variety of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.
[00:01:07] Speaker D: They will be talking about a place on campus that is special to them and a core memory that they have from that specific area in our school. Because Park Day is so full of special places, there is no way to equally experience all of them. For example, here in the podcast room in one corner, there is an old, wooden, antique hotel phone booth that we have transformed into a mini recording studio. This is just one of the many hidden gems on the Park Day campus that only a few students have gotten the opportunity to explore.
[00:01:32] Speaker C: Up next, we have middle school podcasters that will be sharing their special places on campus and a unique, memorable moment from that area to kick us off. August will be sharing an early introduction to the park Day campus that still resonates with him today.
[00:01:46] Speaker D: Oh yeah, and one more thing. We started this project at the end of last year, so you may notice that once we are finally producing this, we are now a whole grade older.
[00:01:54] Speaker C: And totally, definitely, maybe a little wiser. Anyways, here's August.
[00:02:02] Speaker B: Hey, this is August. I'm a 6th grader at Park Day. I joined this school in fourth grade and I love basketball. I play for an AAU team called Lake show and this is a story of how my first experiences on the swings at Park Day paved the way to help me feel more comfortable moving to a new school, a place that's close to me at Park Day is the swing set. You know the one I'm talking about? The one that's smack dab on the middle of the campus and right on the sand. Let me tell you about why it's important to me. It was the last day of the Stephen Cates camp, which is the last camp I had before the end of the summer and before I had to go to my new school, Park Day. This is at the end of my third grade year and the summer of 2021.
I'm sitting near the tent with a couple of my friends.
We're having a good time, and one of my friends decides to go to the swings. So we join him and we just talk about life and stuff like that. We really get to some deep conversations. It was a really fun time and a really, like, impactful time in my life. I really thought about, like, my life, and I really appreciated that the school and, like, it got me excited to come to this new school because I was a little nervous to come to a new school because I haven't been to a new school. It made me realize that, like, I can make friends, like, and I don't just have to keep my old friends, and it's easy to make new friends.
As the sun was setting, my mom came and told me that we needed to leave. And so I said goodbye to my friends. Even if I've never seen those people again, I still remember the moment that helped me have a great time at my new school.
These days, I'll occasionally hop on the swings, but when I do, I always remember the time that I had at that camp with my friends and how it helped me have a great time at my new school.
On the ride back to my house, I remember telling my mom that I know I'm gonna have a great time at my new school.
[00:04:40] Speaker C: Wow, that really brings back so many memories. Just like August, when I first started at park day, I first learned about the campus from my summer camp experience. I, too, attended Stephen Kate's camp and also camp 510. Okay, up next, we will be talking to my co host, Noam, and learning about his favorite campus spot.
[00:04:57] Speaker E: Hi, my name is Noam Epelman, and I'm in 7th grade. I'm here at the field, which is next to the playground in the sunken garden at Park Day school. We have a turf field, and unfortunately, it's not very big, but there have been a lot of good memories that have been made on this field. One of my favorites is my first football game with the school. Back when I was in 6th grade.
I remember after he won the game I was hanging out on the field with my teammates, their families and all of my coaches. I remember it being really nice because after loss everyone just wants to get home and forget about the game. But after a win, everybody will stay on the field just to hang out. This game was special because it was our first game of the season and it felt good to start off 10. I hope to keep building more good memories on the field and around the rest of the campus.
[00:05:49] Speaker C: It's so cool hearing about how special moments in both after school and on campus shaped a student's perspective on how they view our campus. Of course, Noam's not the only person who shares a special connection with athletic field. Back in season two's campus close up episode, we made a park daily question asking people what their favorite parts of campus were. A lot of students mention the field as well.
[00:06:13] Speaker A: Hello, my name is Malaika. I'm in fifth grade and my favorite part of campus is the field because it is very big and on sunny days you get a lot of sun so you can just lay in the sun.
My name is Ari. I'm in third grade and my favorite part of campus is the field because I love soccer and I do it all the time.
[00:06:37] Speaker C: Probably the field because it's a really.
[00:06:39] Speaker A: Good place to just run around in. My name is Jordan and my favorite part of the campus is the field because it's big and you can do cartwheels and stuff.
[00:06:48] Speaker D: Alright, I'm back. Let's keep moving. Here's Medgar taking us all the way back to when he was in third grade.
[00:06:53] Speaker F: Hi, I'm Meg and today I'm going to be talking about a place in park day that's very important to me.
It was 2020 and everyone had just gotten back from being quarantined for Covid. We had spent months on Zoom school and now we are finally back in campus. It was the first day and we walked into the campus, but this year it would be different. Unlike the previous years, every single grade had to operate outside.
No one knew what it was going to be like, but we were all excited to try. I was in third grade that year. In the third grade, classroom was somewhere different than usual. I came in through the big gates and turned left towards the Redwood Grove where I'd be having my whole school year. The Redwood Grove is opposite from where the pavilion is.
There were ten benches set up underneath the tent with a whiteboard in front of all of them. Devin was there with a welcoming smile ready to have a great year with us and transition back off of Zoom school and back in person. We were surrounded by trees and that would be where we would have our recesses for most of the year. I remember one cold day where Claudia was teaching the class that day and everyone was complaining about the cold. So Claudia turned on a video of a fireplace, the wood crackling, the fire burning.
Even though the video of the fireplace didn't make me feel warmer, it was a memory that I will never forget.
Once the year had begun, we had been introduced to the story plays. You and a friend of your choice would write a play and Devin would read them.
After that, Devin would choose which plays he thought would be the best for acting out, and he would have the whole class act them out. One thing special about third grade is that it's the only grade that gets to do story plays. And almost every single park day alumni who's in third grade remembers their third grade experience with story plays. Even though that year is really challenging with having to be outside and wear masks, I had great times, strengthened friendships, had amazing teachers. It may have been one of the best schools years of my life.
[00:09:26] Speaker C: Wow, that took me way back. I like how Medgar highlighted that even difficult moments like Covid can still have silver linings.
[00:09:33] Speaker D: Okay, we reached the last place on campus and the final personal story for today's episode. Closing us out is my co host, Shay, who will be sharing about his affinity for Profe Alizas. Lower school spanish room.
[00:09:54] Speaker C: Hi, my name is Shay Wirimantry. I'm in 7th grade and I'm currently standing in the lower school spanish classroom. Or as some of you might know it, as the annex right by the sandbox. I'm here because it reminds me of the first time I was on the Parc day campuse. I was at the Steve and Kate summer camp when I was probably five or six. I loved hanging out at this room because it was known as the sewing room.
This was by far my favorite part of the camp and every day I would come home with a crazy creation. One time I attempted to make a bag, although for some reason it had eight different zippers.
Nowadays, the classroom to me is known as the lower school spanish classroom. Whenever I walk by that class, I'm always reminded of all the fun memories I had. Thinking back to that camp, I would have never thought that in six years I would be going to that same school and being back in the same classroom.
[00:10:57] Speaker D: I'm really glad that we were able to listen to all these unique stories. It truly gave us a whole new perspective on how park Day students view the different areas of our school and how they interact with their own special place on campus.
Now we want you to think of a special place on the park Day campus that you feel connected to. Is there an anecdote that highlights the significance that area holds?
Before you forget, turn to a friend and let them know your story.
We hope today's episode helps shed light on this special place for you.
[00:11:24] Speaker C: Yup, that's what this podcast is all about. There's a lot more that meets the eye when you take time to ask questions and pay close attention.
[00:11:31] Speaker D: Before we close out, we want to thank August and Medgar for sharing. And thank you for tuning in to another episode and new season of if you knew me Mondays.
[00:11:38] Speaker C: If you haven't already, like and subscribe to if you knew me Mondays. Wherever you podcast and share this episode with your friends and family so they too can hear the unique student perspectives from the margin of our school and community.
[00:11:50] Speaker D: Well, that does it for episode one. Once again, we're your hosts, Noam Appleman and Shay rimantry.
[00:11:55] Speaker C: Thanks for listening.
[00:11:56] Speaker D: All right, I'm going to lunch.
