Why Nativity?

Shared at Ignite the Night, Nativity Prep Gala, April 2025
Raleir Tate
Nativity Preparatory School

Good evening everyone. My name is Raleir Tate, and I am an eighth grader at Nativity Prep. I have been a student here since my sixth grade year, but my journey to the school hasn’t been traditional.

So, “Why did I come to Nativity?” is a simple, yet deep, question that I could talk about all day. But don’t worry, I’ll keep this short. After personal complications, I moved to Delaware with my aunt from North Carolina. My introduction to Delaware schools started virtually during the Pandemic. Over the course of my fourth and fifth grade years, I attended three different schools.

While I was finishing my fifth-grade year, my aunt stumbled upon a school called Nativity Prep. I was opposed to the idea at first because of things like the extended day and school year. Things like that were off-putting back then. Nevertheless, I gave it a chance and went on a shadow day. Contrary to my belief, I loved it!

On my shadow day, my first class was math. I found the teacher kind and helpful, and when I did well, he gave me my props, and learning the material felt rewarding. After math was Spanish class, and even though I had never taken Spanish, the teacher made it easy to grasp and gave me help when I needed it.

Then we had lunch, which brought the selling point of the day, Chick-fil-A for lunch! It was enough to put Nativity above every other middle school I was looking to attend. At recess, all the students included me in a football game. They hyped me up when I made good plays and helped me up when I was down for a bad play, which was the first time I felt the Nativity brotherhood.

I even found that the extended day enabled me to finish my homework and try some new extracurricular activities. It was a special experience for me, particularly in a time when I was dealing with bad experiences at other schools. Nativity definitely stood out from the rest.

I have learned, experienced, and accomplished so much during my time at Nativity. Over my three years, I have gone on many trips and tried activities I never would have at other schools. I am challenged and pushed daily, and it has made me a better student and community member. I was given the chance to join the National Junior Honor Society. Through this program, I have attended community service events such as trips to the Kingswood Community Center and St. Pat’s Food Bank. These are simple things, but they bring me closer to my community. Each year has been a new, thrilling experience.

Nativity has also been there for me through really challenging times. One particularly special memory is when my father passed away. I was away from school for a while, and rather than swarming me with questions, my principal met me outside and gave me a hug. She gifted me a memento to remember him by, and my classmates expressed their sympathy for me. Having a supportive environment is important during difficult times.

While at Nativity, I have learned about and overcome the challenges that go along with changes in leadership and have come away more flexible and resilient, preparing me for the future. This school has granted me a sense of belonging and brotherhood, built on the pillars of our pledge. Every single day we practice integrity, pride, community, respect, dignity, and responsibility. I am thankful to Nativity for all it’s done for me. It has filled me with a feeling I’ll never forget.

As my time here comes to a close, I realize that I will miss Nativity. I will miss the small community, the brotherhood, the relationships I’ve built with faculty members, and especially the sense of belonging. The simple things, like being greeted with a fist bump and a good morning at the front door. My teachers never fail to brighten up my day.

Nativity is a great school, and I’m so happy it was the choice I made three years ago.

I will be attending St. Andrew’s School in the fall.