Walking into the gym or the auditorium during period 6, on a Friday morning, can be like entering into mayhem. Excitement buzzes in the air and there is more than enough shouts and chatter to go around as a hundred students anticipate their highly awaited contest. But just what are these crazy, screaming kids doing?
These kids are freshmen who are participating in a program called Freshmen Mentoring Program (or FMP), which meets opposite of the freshmen lunchtime. FMP pairs freshmen with a classroom teacher and several junior and senior mentors to help ease the transition from middle school to high school. The teacher and mentors are there for the kids all year long.
Twice a week, freshmen are given helpful tips for high school and life through fun lessons taught by their mentors. The book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey is used throughout the lessons but the main goal of the program has a much deeper meaning.
“Officially, the goal for the students is to learn the seven habits,” said FMP teacher Jean Dunbar, “but the real goal goes beyond the seven habits.”
There are many things that teachers hope to give students through FMP.
“We want to get them used to the school and help them develop good habits,” she said. “We want them to get involved with activities and connect with their mentors.”
Freshman Autumn Steele has experienced some of these things already.
“You get to meet new people,” she said.
Although FMP offers students the help and support they need for their first year of high school, the program is not all seriousness. The fun and excitement is one of the program’s trademarks. Each FMP room comes up with a name for themselves based on the name of their teacher. Among this year’s names are “Davis Disco Dancin’ Diva Dinosaurs” and “Killer Muellers”.
The favorite FMP activities are the contests that take place. Each FMP participates in the Friday contests and are judged by staff members. The winners receive points that are totaled up during the year. The FMP with the most points at the end of the year receives the FMP cup. So far this year, the freshmen have participated in a door poster contest and a contest to creatively present the school song. Dunbar’s FMP were the lucky winners of both.
“Amazingly, we won the door poster and the school song on the same day. The kids were pretty excited,” she said.
Steele’s FMP has not gone winless either.
“We got second in the school song,” she said. “It was my favorite contest.”
The freshmen are just now beginning to draw out of FMP all of the benefits it has to offer. They are starting to dig out more life lessons than just the ones in the seven habits.
