Bridge Crew improves school culture
Bridge Crew develops student leadership
Bridge Crew impacts all students
I was trained at a three day training paid by the school along with other educators from Michigan, other states and even other countries. At this training I went through the entire process of Link Crew and learned how to build connection and energy to bring back to the school in hopes of building a program that suffers from trauma and loss. I can build this program at any high school with my certification (there is also a middle school program called WEB). Below is a description of what Link Crew is from the Boomerang Project website.
"Link Crew (Bridge Crew) is a high school transition program that welcomes freshmen and makes them feel comfortable throughout the first year of their high school experience. Built on the belief that students can help students succeed, Boomerang Project’s proven high school transition program trains mentors from your junior and senior classes to be Link Crew Leaders. As positive role models, Link Crew Leaders are mentors and student leaders who guide the freshmen to discover what it takes to be successful during the transition to high school and help facilitate freshman success.
More and more studies show that if students have a positive experience their first year in high school, their chance for success increases dramatically. Link Crew provides the structure for freshmen to receive support and guidance from juniors and seniors who have been through the challenges that high school poses, and understand that the transition to a larger school can sometimes be overwhelming." These leaders are carefully selected through application process. For every two leaders, 10-12 Freshmen were assigned to mentor, guide and befriend for the school year.
Below are four components that contribute to the SUCCESS of Link Crew:
- High School Orientation - Link Leaders and freshmen start building the mentor relationship and freshmen receive information about how to be successful in high school; this occurs before the first day of school or on the first day of school
- Academic Follow Ups - Link Leaders support freshman academic success and character development through structured classroom visits including alerts of students that need help academcially
- Social Follow Ups - Link Leaders and freshmen connect outside the classroom at social events to increase student engagement, and promote positive school climate
- Leader Initiated Contacts - Link Leaders connect with their freshmen on a more individual basis this develops skill in Leaders as well as communication skill to freshmen
-- EVENTS --
Katelin worked with another teacher, Dan Ahearne, to coordinate Orientation, leader meetings and facilitate the social activities that the leaders brainstormed to do with their Freshmen. As a result, student involvement increased as well as excitement for when the next event would be. Students started looking forward to school every day and knew they always had a friend, their leader. Below are some Bridge Crew activities that were done at Ogemaw Heights High School all lead by the leaders.
Tie-Dye Shirts
In the Fall 2019, we did a huge tie dye event with all the freshmen and leaders. In middle school, the freshmen had gotten free white t-shirts sponsored by businesses. They had not been distributed yet to the students.
My partner coordinator, Dan Ahearne, and I, organized this event to take place behind the art room taking Freshmen every hour of the day outside to personally tie dye their shirts after they rubber banded them. Once shirts were done, leaders went out to the fence where the buses line up along the football field to hang the shirts to dry. It was an amazing site to see over 100 shirts hanging on a fence with all of the colors. The students got to see their shirts as they got on the bus that day. |
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Donut - Deer Day
In the spirit of the fall season, Bridge Crew does an annual donut day. This year it fell on the day before Opening Deer Season or Safety Day. At a leader meeting, the leaders each grabbed enough foam containers for all of their freshmen in their group. They wrote encouraging words/quotes on the container personalized to each Freshmen.
Additionally, all groups of leaders planned a theme for their group. The Leaders were in charge of making a leader initiated contact with their freshmen to tell them where they would be in the school on Donut Day; like a scavenger hunt. The Freshmen were to find them during passing time in the school somewhere looking for the fun outfits the leaders had planned. Some leaders were spies, deer hunters inside of a camouflaged blind, Christmas themed, Chefs, tourists and other fun outfits. |
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Bridge Crew is thankful for our Freshmen!
Before Thanksgiving Break, Bridge Crew Leaders organized an event to let their Freshmen know that they are thankful for them. During lunches, Freshmen came to an empty room where they wrote and decorated a turkey feather. On the feather they wrote what they were thankful for. All feathers were added to the turkey and put on display in the hallway. The incentive for Freshmen to come was to get an ice cream sandwich for participating. Leaders interacted with other students and helped them come up with ideas of what in life they found joy in.
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Jam the Gym and Pack the Pool
To get Freshmen involved in athetlic events, we hosted specific games that were home for the Freshmen to come to with their leaders. This was to increase school spirit as well as to get Freshmen involved in athletic events.
The staff played the Freshmen Girls Basketball Team as a way for the students to cheer on the Freshmen team. A pizza wars was hosted as well. Pizzerias in West Branch-Rose City area donated 10-12 pepperoni pizzas for the student body to vote on the best pizza in the area. It was a blind taste test. Freshmen tasted pizza for free and other students donated at least $1 to go towards a former teacher's battle against cancer. Surprisingly out of 9 pizzerias, the school's cafeteria pizza got second place! |
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Spirit Week During a Pandemic
A student came up to me saying that Bridge Crew needs to do something. The winter has been long and everyone was in a lull. So I told her to come up with something fun and that was a Spirit Week before Spring Break. We then came up with an incentive of how we can get students to dress up. The Bridge Crew Group with the most participation all week would get a $10 gift card to a place of their choice in town. And of course... I had to get in on the fun to show that teachers are involved in what students want for their school.
Spirit Days included: Disney Day, Tacky Tourist Day, Pure Michigan Day and Brown/Gold Day. |
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Want to know more about his program and how I can bring it to your school?
Go to http://www.boomerangproject.com
The Boomerang Project also has a program for Middle School called WEB. I can develop this school anywhere as it has changed my life and hundreds of students.
The Boomerang Project also has a program for Middle School called WEB. I can develop this school anywhere as it has changed my life and hundreds of students.