Middle school: The best years

The thought of opening a locker on the first day of school can strike fear into the heart of even the bravest 11-year-old, who has likely seen at least one television show or movie depicting middle school as a scary place where sixth-graders get bullied and stuffed into lockers.

But a new camp at Liberty Middle School, UPWARD, is trying to help alleviate those types of concerns for its incoming students. Along with how to access their totally not-scary lockers, they learn how to navigate other situations likely to cause some anxiety, such as finding the bathrooms, getting to class and figuring out where and when to go for lunch.