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Neighbors | Submitted .Student members of the WEB leaders program met with Poland sixth graders to discuss what being a good leader means.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Eighth grade WEB leaders create posters hung around the school with positive messages for sixth grade students as part of the Where Everybody Belongs program.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Poland Middle School students participated in the WEB leaders program, which pairs eighth-grade student leaders with sixth-graders.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Poland WEB leaders demonstrate to sixth graders how tooth paste is easily squeezed out of the tube, but hard to put back in, using it as a metaphor for negative words.
By JESSICA HARKER
Poland Middle School eighth-graders are spending time this year working to help sixth-graders through the new WEB leaders program.
Counselor MaryJo Rowan said the initiative was started this school year, with the goal of helping shape eighth-graders into leaders and help sixth-graders transition to middle school.
“We want them to lead in a positive way to encourage kindness, empathy, connection and inclusion. They do this through being visible throughout the school day,” Rowan said.
Thirty-four eighth-graders are part of the program, Rowan said, which they have to apply for.
Students who wish to be WEB leaders submit an essay where they answer three questions about their time in middle school and what leadership means to them.
Rowan said that chosen students then participate in training, that starts on May Play Day and continues during the summer.
“Students come in for two days to be trained on how to be mentors and how to run a sixth-grade orientation,” Rowan said. “These students then run sixth-grade orientation with myself and the other advisors.”
After training, eighth-graders are broken into teams of two and are paired with groups of 8-10 sixth-graders they will work with throughout the year.
“They meet during orientation to complete ‘get to know you’ activities and to plan goals for the new school year,” Rowan said.
Rowan said WEB leaders then meet throughout the year with their sixth-graders.
“The eighth-grade WEB Leaders and sixth-grade students have interactions through social gatherings such as attending a Poland football, basketball or volleyball game together, eating lunch together in the cafeteria, checking in or high-fiving in the hallways,” Rowan said.
Eighth-graders also teach lessons to sixth-graders, covering topics they learned about through their middle school experiences.
WEB leaders wear bright orange shirts on the first day of school as well, making them easy for sixth-graders who may need help to identify.
Rowan, along with Wendy Butch, Pam Angelilli, Abby Aebischer and David Purins were trained in the program last year.
“We were very excited to bring this program to Poland Middle School and work as a team to help coach and guide these young leaders and mentors,” Rowan said.
Rowan said she hopes to see the program continue to grow over the years.
“I’ve noticed a positive difference and change in the culture of the middle school since implementing the WEB Leaders program,” Roawn said. “I definitely am excited to see how we can help it grow next school year.”