New School? No Sweat: Sixth Grade Orientation at PCMS is a Party

When a fresh group of 6th graders entered Port Chester Middle School for the first time yesterday, they desperately searched for familiar faces in a sea of new ones, and jitters were surely in no short supply.

Soon though, with the help of new faculty and encouraging words, those nerves quickly became a memory.

For the first time, the school made orientation a festive occasion by pairing it with a barbecue, with students mingling with their new teachers over hamburgers and hot dogs.

With the backbone of Developmental Designs in mind –the character enhancement strategy program the school is beginning to roll out this semester – the day was based around "getting-to-know each-other" activities that promoted working together and group strength.

Games such as Red Light-Green Light were played, but with a new spin — instead of the standard rules in which winning is individual, each homeroom class was divided into teams, so in order to win, they had to help each other to reach the finish line.

Alison Hembury, one of the homeroom teachers administering the exercises, said the group activities were ideal icebreakers for the new students.

"[The activities] are helping to get rid of nervous anxiety and helping to build teamwork," she said.

This push for camaraderie is of course, one of the fundamental principles of the newly revealed character building program, which has begun to seep into the curriculum. Teachers say there's a benefit to starting small.

"In introducing [the program] we know we couldn't do it on a school level right away," Swift said. "Plus, by doing the different activities, all the teachers got a good flavor of what exactly it is."

Mostly though, the goal at hand was for the youngsters to get to know each-other and the school. Especially since kids come from far and wide without knowing each other beforehand, it's important to become comfortable.

"I want the students to feel, 'This is my school,'" said Swift.

To ensure a familiar face on the important day, some shaky students even brought a family member to the event for support.

Sara Serrano, an 8th grader, arrived with her younger sister Miriam and served as her personal guide to the new school and its winding hallways.

"We didn't have [an orientation] last year, but having it is a lot better because everyone has time to get to know each other," she said.

As students and teachers geared up for the final leg of the orientation, they were left with encouraging words from Byron Womack, the school's assistant principal.

"All the teachers have been working hard to help make this a wonderful year, and I know everyone here is going to be very successful," he said.