THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9503310209
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 24 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
MOVING FROM elementary to middle school can be tough for rising sixth-graders.
Many have questions and concerns they find too embarrassing to bring up. They worry about changing classes, showering after physical education and most of all - getting picked on by the older kids.
Since ``Surviving Middle School 101'' isn't offered locally, Kempsville Middle School's guidance department is sponsoring a program with the same concept in mind.
As part of the ``Student Ambassador'' program, 97 students are working with rising sixth-graders at Kempsville's feeder schools to smooth out their upcoming transition.
Working in teams of five and six, the ambassadors visit these students on scheduled days during the spring. Through small group dynamics, presentations and ice breakers, they are helping more than 380 elementary students - from Providence, Kempsville, Fairfield and Woodstock - feel more comfortable about next year's switch.
``What the student ambassadors are doing is wonderful,'' said guidance counselor Jody Hargrove, one of the program's sponsors.
Hargrove, who was a counselor at Providence Elementary last year, said she saw first-hand how the ambassadors helped rising sixth-graders. ``They were able to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety.''
Training sessions are a part of the program, and students are left to make their own decisions about how to handle their assigned classes. In January and February, they had to put their public speaking skills to work and practice introductions, before making their first visit to schools.
On that trip, the ambassadors explained to students what the program was all about.
``At first they were quiet, so we tried to be as personable as possible,'' said Sarah Margulies, an eighth-grade ambassador. ``We talked more on their level, so they could relate to what we were saying.''
Guidance counselor Kyki Razos, co-sponsor of the program, said: ``The rising sixth-graders relate better to other students. They feel more comfortable around them.''
To be an ambassador, a student has to be nominated by his or her teacher. Grades aren't a factor in the selection process, so the counselors pick those students who are friendly, outgoing and represent the school well.
Last year, they received less than 50 applications, while they got more than 140 this year.
The program is popular among students for several reasons. Danielle Godsey, a seventh-grade ambassador, said she likes being a role model to the younger students.
``It makes you feel good because they look up to you,'' she said. ``It lets them know some people from the place.''
Other ambassadors like helping the students because they can relate to how they feel. They want to tell them the truth about the middle school experience.
``I was kind of scared coming here because I was going from the oldest to being the youngest,'' said sixth-grade ambassador Rick Shipley. ``You hear all these fantasy stories about kids beating you up.''
On May 12, after the student teams have made two more visits, they will host all the upcoming sixth-graders for a personal tour of Kempsville. They will follow up in June when they drop off student-written booklets, filled with survival tips on lunch, lockers and tardiness. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by HOLLY WESTER
Sixth-grader Rick Shipley, left, eighth-grader Sarah Margulies and
seventh-grader Danielle Godsey, all ambassadors at Kempsville Middle
School, go over booklets filled with survival tips on lunch, lockers
and tardiness.
Photo
Kyki Razos, left, and Jody Hargrove are the guidance counselors who
sponsor the ``Student Ambassador'' program, which includes 97
students who help smooth the transition for students at Kempsville's
feeder schools.
by CNB