To ease the transition from elementary to middle school student, sixth-graders at Lynbrook’s South Middle School participated in day one of the L.I.N.K. program on Sept. 8 with the help of eighth-grade volunteers. L.I.N.K., which stands for Lynbrook Students Independently Networking Kids, was created in an effort to decrease school anxiety, promote a positive hallway environment and provide a friendly face for the sixth-graders.
Eighth-graders who were interested in the program signed up at the end of the last school year to be mentors. The sign-ups were a success as the school had 75 student volunteers for the 2017-2018 school year.
To kick off the program, students all gathered in the gymnasium where Principal Caryn Blum and guidance counselor Jennifer Arena greeted them.
“My hope is that these past couple of days, most of you are starting to feel more comfortable with the building,” said Arena. “We thought it would be nice though if everyone in the building had a buddy.”
The sixth-graders were then paired with two eighth-grade mentors who sat with them and conducted icebreaker activities to get to know them better. The older students spoke about their personal middle school experiences and answered questions about lockers, teachers, schedules and classes.
The groups will meet again a few times during the year to strengthen the relationship between the students. Through the program, the older students will build their confidence as role models and have the opportunity to enjoy an extra sense of responsibility while gaining valuable leadership skills along the way.
Photo Captions:
- South Middle School eighth-graders formed a circle with sixth-graders to speak about their middle school experiences.
- Eighth-graders Jordan Glickman and Conor Lynch (right) got to know the sixth-graders through different questions.
Photos courtesy of the Lynbrook School District
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