MVMS' WEB program welcomes 6th graders with open arms
By Tommie Brown, Staff Writer Energy was high on Menifee Valley Middle School’s campus on Aug. 2 as the school’s WEB program welcomed the...
http://www.menifee247.com/2019/08/mvms-web-program-welcomes-6th-graders-with-open-arms.html
By Tommie Brown, Staff Writer
Energy was high on Menifee Valley Middle School’s campus on Aug. 2 as the school’s WEB program welcomed the incoming 6th graders onto campus.
WEB, standing for “Where Everybody Belongs,” is a transition program designed to help 6th graders adjust to their new life on a middle school campus. 7th and 8th grade students apply to the program and are hand selected by staff to serve as mentors for the new students.
The event saw over 200 6th graders, over 40 WEB student leaders, and many staff members communing in the campus gymnasium, playing "get to know you" games and listening to vital advice on what the new phase of life would bring.
“Middle school is arguably one of the more difficult transitions as a young adult,” says WEB orientation leader, MVMS 7th grade math teacher Michael Blanton. “I believe in the power of change with students leading the way. This program is not mine to claim, but the students on this campus wanting to be a leader for those at school, in particular the 6th graders.”
Blanton has been running the event for the past three years out of its four-year existence. If you found yourself anywhere near MVMS that day, you could surely feel his fervent energy radiating throughout the campus.
“I was in Link Crew in high school and have always had a passion to help others grow as a person, working on character or supporting someone on their journey in life,” says Blanton. “When I got into education, I wanted to embody this concept of kindness and leadership campus wide. I created my own programs to foster leadership on campus, but was fortunate to be invited to a conference hosted by the Boomerang Project.
"When I visited their website and realized that they were the creators of Link Crew, and had a middle school equivalent, I knew that this program was the solution to my efforts to positively impact our culture and the students on this campus.”
With roughly 300 bodies gathered on the gymnasium floor, Blanton was a one-man show, embodying all things exciting and hopeful, with the air of an older brother leading the way.
The afternoon saw a multitude of purposeful games that masked themselves as entertaining time-fillers. From a game requiring students to sit on a balloon until it popped to Simon Says type of crowd involvement, Blanton took fun morale boosters and transformed them into vital lessons the 6th graders needed.
At one point, Blanton stood himself on a chair in front of the few hundred students and required them to separate and arrange themselves numerous times into groups of various types. The first round saw the students separate themselves between tastes in desserts, while the last round called students to make more difficult decisions about imaginary money.
However, what the students didn’t realize was Blanton’s very intentional goal of the game -- the importance and responsibility in decision making. Faces of students both lit up, and dropped, as Blanton made each student internally accountable for whether they dared to tell the truth, subjecting themselves to strangers, or if they lied to stay grouped with their friends.
It was all designed to reach the overarching discussion of what it means to have patience, set goals, and be a leader, both to one another and to themelves, in the new and vastly different middle school environment.
“Middle school can be a difficult transition for some students,” explained Principal Melinda Conde. “WEB helps to alleviate any fears and provide support for incoming 6th graders so they don’t feel alone...That connection [with WEB leaders] provides them with a familiar friendly face they can access if they are overwhelmed or just have questions throughout their day.”
But within all the life lessons, there was surely fun to be had. Students broke into small groups inside the gymnasium to better get to know one another. The day saw students playing games like charades, cornhole, and even taking intermittent breaks to do the Chicken Dance.
Independence was truly embraced for all parties involved in the small group sessions in the middle of the event. A handful of 6th grade students were led by a pair of WEB leaders, who took them to designated empty classrooms where they led their own bag of ice breaking games all on their own.
Each WEB team was given a bag full of instructions and tools to lead the 6th grade students through a myriad of activities to get to know one another. From games to remember each other’s names to tasks that required full team work to complete, the sessions left no room for students to not embrace one another.
“I came to the orientation today to learn more about the school and what we were going to be learning,” said new 6th grader Evelyn C. “But then we did all these games and it really helped me to feel more comfortable and like, if nothing else, at least I can walk into school the first day and know someone when I start.”
Elijah C., fellow incoming 6th grader, nodded his head in agreement.
“The more we learn about each other, the more people will be friends. And that really helps.”
Even then the two students, being asked about their thoughts on orientation, learned that they come from the same elementary school and shared a number of teachers and classes in common.
“I was so nervous to start middle school,” giggled Evelyn C., barely above a whisper. “But now I feel like I’ll be better on the first day of school because I feel like I know my new school now.”
But the WEB program doesn’t just benefit the incoming 6th graders. The program is also designed to uplift the 7th and 8th graders as well.
“During WEB’s first year I was able to have about 40 strong leaders with roughly the same number of applicants impacting the 1,000 or so on campus,” said Blanton. “Since then, we have nearly 25 percent of all 6th and 7th graders applying to get into the program.
"I think students identify the importance of making a positive impact and we see that more and more as WEB continues gaining traction as a cornerstone of the culture being instilled on this campus. Students practice encouragement and a willingness to be outgoing with students they don’t know, something I hear frequently from the teachers regarding the leaders in their classes.”
The program also has led staff to offer WEB Wednesdays each week, where students are invited to wear their WEB t-shirt and promote positive behavior on campus, such as welcoming in students at parent drop-off once a week with high-fives and music, unifying students and staff as well.
“WEB students make being kind, cool,” said Principal Conde. “The positivity spreads like wildfire. We notice more students following in the WEB leaders’ footsteps and behaving the same way. The kindness movement becomes exponential. WEB leaders reach out to students who may be sitting alone, or invite other students to join them in school-wide lunchtime activities. It’s truly a great program which allows kindness to overcome all else.”
The day comes to a close with a campus tour, a lunch break, and joining back together in the gymnasium for a final “see you later.” After all the zeal in the day started to settle, and the amxiousness to return home set in, the students were dismissed. And the quiet, awkward 5th grade students who entered the campus that day were surely not the same robust, confident 6th graders who walked out.
“I don’t want the summer to end,” Elijah C. assured his own self, “and I didn’t want to say goodbye to some of my friends. But now, after today, I feel a little ready for all this.”
Energy was high on Menifee Valley Middle School’s campus on Aug. 2 as the school’s WEB program welcomed the incoming 6th graders onto campus.
WEB, standing for “Where Everybody Belongs,” is a transition program designed to help 6th graders adjust to their new life on a middle school campus. 7th and 8th grade students apply to the program and are hand selected by staff to serve as mentors for the new students.
The event saw over 200 6th graders, over 40 WEB student leaders, and many staff members communing in the campus gymnasium, playing "get to know you" games and listening to vital advice on what the new phase of life would bring.
Pictured: WEB Leaders guiding students on campus
“Middle school is arguably one of the more difficult transitions as a young adult,” says WEB orientation leader, MVMS 7th grade math teacher Michael Blanton. “I believe in the power of change with students leading the way. This program is not mine to claim, but the students on this campus wanting to be a leader for those at school, in particular the 6th graders.”
Blanton has been running the event for the past three years out of its four-year existence. If you found yourself anywhere near MVMS that day, you could surely feel his fervent energy radiating throughout the campus.
“I was in Link Crew in high school and have always had a passion to help others grow as a person, working on character or supporting someone on their journey in life,” says Blanton. “When I got into education, I wanted to embody this concept of kindness and leadership campus wide. I created my own programs to foster leadership on campus, but was fortunate to be invited to a conference hosted by the Boomerang Project.
"When I visited their website and realized that they were the creators of Link Crew, and had a middle school equivalent, I knew that this program was the solution to my efforts to positively impact our culture and the students on this campus.”
With roughly 300 bodies gathered on the gymnasium floor, Blanton was a one-man show, embodying all things exciting and hopeful, with the air of an older brother leading the way.
The afternoon saw a multitude of purposeful games that masked themselves as entertaining time-fillers. From a game requiring students to sit on a balloon until it popped to Simon Says type of crowd involvement, Blanton took fun morale boosters and transformed them into vital lessons the 6th graders needed.
At one point, Blanton stood himself on a chair in front of the few hundred students and required them to separate and arrange themselves numerous times into groups of various types. The first round saw the students separate themselves between tastes in desserts, while the last round called students to make more difficult decisions about imaginary money.
Pictured: Michael Blanton leading orientation game
It was all designed to reach the overarching discussion of what it means to have patience, set goals, and be a leader, both to one another and to themelves, in the new and vastly different middle school environment.
“Middle school can be a difficult transition for some students,” explained Principal Melinda Conde. “WEB helps to alleviate any fears and provide support for incoming 6th graders so they don’t feel alone...That connection [with WEB leaders] provides them with a familiar friendly face they can access if they are overwhelmed or just have questions throughout their day.”
But within all the life lessons, there was surely fun to be had. Students broke into small groups inside the gymnasium to better get to know one another. The day saw students playing games like charades, cornhole, and even taking intermittent breaks to do the Chicken Dance.
Independence was truly embraced for all parties involved in the small group sessions in the middle of the event. A handful of 6th grade students were led by a pair of WEB leaders, who took them to designated empty classrooms where they led their own bag of ice breaking games all on their own.
Each WEB team was given a bag full of instructions and tools to lead the 6th grade students through a myriad of activities to get to know one another. From games to remember each other’s names to tasks that required full team work to complete, the sessions left no room for students to not embrace one another.
“I came to the orientation today to learn more about the school and what we were going to be learning,” said new 6th grader Evelyn C. “But then we did all these games and it really helped me to feel more comfortable and like, if nothing else, at least I can walk into school the first day and know someone when I start.”
Elijah C., fellow incoming 6th grader, nodded his head in agreement.
“The more we learn about each other, the more people will be friends. And that really helps.”
Even then the two students, being asked about their thoughts on orientation, learned that they come from the same elementary school and shared a number of teachers and classes in common.
“I was so nervous to start middle school,” giggled Evelyn C., barely above a whisper. “But now I feel like I’ll be better on the first day of school because I feel like I know my new school now.”
Pictured: Students playing games in small group sessions
But the WEB program doesn’t just benefit the incoming 6th graders. The program is also designed to uplift the 7th and 8th graders as well.
“During WEB’s first year I was able to have about 40 strong leaders with roughly the same number of applicants impacting the 1,000 or so on campus,” said Blanton. “Since then, we have nearly 25 percent of all 6th and 7th graders applying to get into the program.
"I think students identify the importance of making a positive impact and we see that more and more as WEB continues gaining traction as a cornerstone of the culture being instilled on this campus. Students practice encouragement and a willingness to be outgoing with students they don’t know, something I hear frequently from the teachers regarding the leaders in their classes.”
The program also has led staff to offer WEB Wednesdays each week, where students are invited to wear their WEB t-shirt and promote positive behavior on campus, such as welcoming in students at parent drop-off once a week with high-fives and music, unifying students and staff as well.
“WEB students make being kind, cool,” said Principal Conde. “The positivity spreads like wildfire. We notice more students following in the WEB leaders’ footsteps and behaving the same way. The kindness movement becomes exponential. WEB leaders reach out to students who may be sitting alone, or invite other students to join them in school-wide lunchtime activities. It’s truly a great program which allows kindness to overcome all else.”
The day comes to a close with a campus tour, a lunch break, and joining back together in the gymnasium for a final “see you later.” After all the zeal in the day started to settle, and the amxiousness to return home set in, the students were dismissed. And the quiet, awkward 5th grade students who entered the campus that day were surely not the same robust, confident 6th graders who walked out.
“I don’t want the summer to end,” Elijah C. assured his own self, “and I didn’t want to say goodbye to some of my friends. But now, after today, I feel a little ready for all this.”
