BETTENDORF, Iowa — Bettendorf Middle School is implementing a new program to help its new sixth graders feel more welcome.
"This is our web day, it's where everyone belongs. And what we're doing is we're trying to bring our sixth graders in early, before our seventh and eighth graders," said Principal Alan Hartley We have about 80 eighth graders that are coming in. And then we are trying to form relationships, have a little bit of fun and try to create a memory for our sixth-grade students as they come into BMS."
Eighth graders signed up as volunteers to help the new students adjust and connect.
"We have our web leaders, and they are students that have volunteered to sign up; they gave up 10 hours of their summer to be here and get trained, and then do activities," said Hartley.
The program revolves around student bonding through team exercises.
"They're going to have a mentor and an eighth grader, and then they're going to have our staff supporting them all the whole way around. We're going to have team-building activities, and then we're going to culminate that with a cookout in the middle of the day," said Hartley.
This is the first year this program has been implemented, but Hartley said it will not be the last.
"I hope that the sixth graders walk away with one of those moments. So, we know that if you think about school, and you think back to your school experience, more often than not, you're probably not thinking about a test. You're probably thinking about a memory or a moment with an individual. And so hopefully today we're creating one of those moments."