What do Spiderman and Oxford Middle School Counselor Ryan Kline have in common? Both spin webs to help people.
In Kline’s case, the WEB stands for ‘Where Everybody Belongs? and it’s a new program he’s instituted at OMS to help the incoming sixth-graders make the big transition from life in elementary school.
‘It’s a program I pitched several times,? he said. ‘I’ve actually been trying to get it going for probably four years ? ever since I became a counselor here.?
Under the WEB program, a select group of eighth-graders are trained to become role models, mentors and motivators who will help guide the incoming sixth-graders on a path to discovering what it takes to be successful in middle school and instill in them a sense of belonging.
‘Teachers try to help the kids, but it’s really overwhelming (for students) coming here from smaller schools,? Kline said.
The idea behind WEB is younger students can connect more easily with older students than adults.
A total of 65 eighth-graders ? 52 girls and 13 boys ? are participating as WEB leaders this year.
‘We had 135 applicants,? Kline said.
Each WEB leader underwent 11 hours of training over a two-day period to prepare them for their new role.
As a group, the eighth-grade mentors resent a diverse cross-section of the OMS student body.
‘We didn’t want to have all the creme de la creme, top achieving students,? Kline said. ‘We wanted a mix because the sixth-graders are a mix.?
Hence, some of the WEB leaders are heavily involved in school activities while some are not involved at all. Some WEB leaders are straight-A students. Some struggle academically.
‘The whole purpose is to try to get leaders the students can identify with,? Kline explained.
Groups of eight or nine sixth-graders were paired up with two WEB leaders during a special orientation held Sept. 2 at OMS.
Prior to the meeting, the WEB leaders called the sixth-graders in their group and introduced themselves.
Out of the 320 sixth-graders invited to the orientation, 278 showed up.
‘That’s pretty good for a first time program,? Kline said.
During the orientation, the WEB leaders and students got to know each other through games and hands-on activities. The mentors then took their groups on a tour of the school.
Afterwards, the sixth-graders were treated to a barbecue and received copies of their class schedules.
But that wasn’t the last time these sixth-graders will see their mentors.
Throughout the year, the WEB leaders will come to the sixth-grade advisory classes (what we older folks used to call home room) and teach lessons on things like bullying, time management, study skills and staying organized.
There will also be opportunities for the WEB leaders to have lunch with their groups from time to time and engage in one-on-one sessions when needed.
‘They’re checking in with them throughout the course of the year to make sure things are going well,? Kline said.
Now that the WEB program’s been established at the middle school, Kline said the goal is to implement a similar program next year for incoming freshmen at the high school.