There are about 100 new faces at Harvard School of Excellence in Englewood this year. That’s because the Chicago Board of Education voted to shut down nearby Yale Elementary at the end of last school year.

It’s only been a few days, so students are still warming up to one another, but to ease the transition, Harvard Principal Aisha McCarthy had teachers select two students from each class to be “welcoming school ambassadors.”

WBEZ producer Becky Vevea interviewed a group of these “ambassadors” and a few new students who transferred in from Yale.

Harvard is run by the Academy for Urban School Leadership, a non-profit group that specializes in training teachers and turning around low-performing schools. 

Students interviewed include:

LaQuisha Ashford (former Yale student)

Annasty Walker

Emanuel Kent

Jimmy Pewee

Timothy Richardson (former Yale student)

Keshon Tolliver

Dayjah Hall

Jada Wilson

Lawrence Davis

Jamella Holmes (former Yale student)

Becky Vevea is a producer for WBEZ. Follow her @WBEZeducation.