Upper classmen work with new freshmen

RITZVILLE – Lind-Ritzville High School juniors and seniors who volunteered to be Link Leaders as mentors for incoming freshmen in the fall had the opportunity to show the Class of 2025 around the school last week.

This is the second year the high school is taking advantage of the program that assigns groups of eight to 10 incoming freshmen to two junior or senior Link Leaders. The leaders go through 12 hours of online training to prepare them for the role of mentors.

Link Crew Advisor Kathy McAnally said students have a difficult time with the transition from middle school to high school especially if they are not involved with extra curricular activities and do not have a strong social network to rely on.

"The freshman year is marked with emotional stress and uncertainty that can lead to poor decision making and self-destructive behavior. This was true more than ever during the pandemic, when students were isolated from their regular social networks here at school," McAnally said, adding the school district invested in a virtual program for the freshman orientation and other social events on Google Classroom. "The other things Link Leaders did to stay connected with their freshmen this year was periodic contact through group chats via text, Snap Chat and emails. Once we were back to in-person learning without the restrictions of cohort, the freshmen could get together with their Link Leaders for mentoring advice and fun and games."

McAnally said what she loves most about the program is that it "truly delivers on what it promises, if you stay true to the main principles and follow through with the program,

"Studies show that schools with a strong Link Crew have improved attendance, raise student GPAs and increase student engagement in extracurricular activities and social events," McAnally said.

As they showed the younger students around the high school school Wednesday, a few of the Link Leaders said they wished the program was in place when they were freshmen.