Sparking Moments That Matter: Middle School Mentor Program

For many students, the transition to middle school brings excitement — along with some nerves. New buildings, new classes and new classmates can feel overwhelming. At Jones and Hastings middle schools, seventh- and eighth-grade mentors are helping sixth-graders find their way.

“The purpose of the mentor program is for our 7th and 8th graders to be leaders and to basically welcome our 6th graders and our new students,” said Tina Farbizo, Hastings Middle School school counselor and mentor coordinator.

The program begins with a special sixth-grade day, when mentors return to school to help incoming students get comfortable before the full student body arrives. They lead games, help students learn their way around the building and answer questions — including how to open those sometimes-tricky lockers.

For sixth grader Sawyer R., that practical support has already made a difference.

“Something my mentor has already helped me with is probably the most important thing — it’s opening my locker,” Sawyer said.

But the program is about more than finding classrooms. 

“Most of all, the mentor program is to help the kids, the new sixth graders, just have somebody they can rely on when they need to talk to somebody,” said Brad Barwick, Jones Middle School mentor coordinator.

For the mentors, the experience is an opportunity to lead while drawing on their own memories of being new to middle school. 

Roan D., a Jones mentor, remembers how much it meant to feel welcomed as a sixth grader.

“I wanted to be a mentor because the feeling that I got being a sixth grader — just being welcomed and included — really made me want to do the same to younger students,” Roan said.

Ella V., a Hastings mentor, remembers being nervous about getting lost when she was a sixth grader. Now, she takes pride in giving thorough building tours to help new students feel more confident.

“I know how nerve-wracking it was for me,” Ella said.

That support can quickly turn nerves into a sense of belonging. Sixth grader Charlotte D. was initially worried about meeting new people and not knowing anyone in her classes. Her experience with the mentor program changed that.

“But then you can get to meet new people and it’s not scary,” Charlotte said.

Farbizo said some students arrive on sixth-grade day visibly overwhelmed, but mentors are ready to step in and reassure them: “You know what? I got you.”

The result is exactly what the program hopes to create: students who leave feeling connected, confident and ready to come back.

“We hear from parents especially saying they can’t wait to come back to school tomorrow,” Farbizo said, “because they saw a connection, they felt a connection.”

And for the mentors, the work continues throughout the year. As Roan put it, “I’m excited to see how they grow throughout the year.”